Demon, Human, and the Cruise Ship
by DemonsInSuits
Summary: Neuro chases yet another mystery, only this time, it's a suicide case that takes place on a cruise ship! Little does he know of Slave #1's fear of the sea... what's more, there's a new girl that makes Yako uneasy for some unknown reason. Maybe it's the way Neuro looks at her... or is Yako imagining it?
1. Chapter 1

**Greetings. Hey, guess what? I actually plan to finish this story! I'm sorry for not finishing the other ones… writers block didn't go away. Don't kill me! *hides in a tornado shelter* Anyway, I actually thought up an ending to this one before I started writing. I tried not to make the relationship develop as fast as they usually do. ^^" **

**These chapters are written at 2am… so this is how my brain works at 2 in the morning. Suspicious… e_e (I do apologize if it gets confusing.)**

**I'll try to update weekly. I hope you like this one! Please enjoy, and I love you all! (No matter how awkward that may sound.) XD Thanks for reading!**

Another day, another mystery; however, this day seemed to be a little different. This time, the culprit seemed to be trying to reason with Neuro as he mercilessly stared down at her. Even Yako was starting to get a little shaken up. This mystery had been a much longer one, one that had lasted several days. The culprit had actually made things pretty complicated; in fact, her alibi had been so complex that Yako would have been completely clueless on her own.

"Haven't you ever wanted love? Haven't you ever experienced hate?! How can you be so…!" The culprit screamed at Neuro. She looked exhausted, looking up at the blonde demon from her position on the floor.

Neuro's sharp-toothed grin widened as the mystery's energy formed into a colorful, disoriented aura. "I will never understand you humans." He replied simply. "Itadakimasu."

Yako waited for Neuro to finish his meal. Night was slowly approaching. All she wanted to do now was to go home and sleep. She stared up at the sky and focused on the small glimmer of a star. She suddenly felt a light yank on her hair that pulled her down lower and Neuro's face invaded her line of vision.

"Time to go, slave." He announced as he leaned over her from behind. He released her and started walking away, and Yako followed him. She rubbed the back of her head as she stared at Neuro's back. She wondered if any people he'd ever encountered had moved him at all. "That mystery was quite filling." He commented, interrupting Yako's thoughts. "Whether I understand them or not, the human emotions add flavor to the mysteries."

"You mean… you've really never felt those emotions?" She dared ask as she walked up next to him, trying to look at his face. He glanced down at her without moving his head. The glimmering green glow in his eyes made her a bit nervous, but she didn't try and cover her question.

"Human emotions such as that would cloud my skills." He replied in a smooth voice. His eyes refocused on the sidewalk again as Yako broke eye contact. She returned to walking silently behind him. For some reason, she felt a little… disappointed, but she couldn't figure out why. Had she secretly been hoping for some weak point in the demon's solid defense? She let out a sigh. No, nothing would make him waver. She'd known that fact since the first time she'd seen him solve a mystery.

The two headed back to the office. Neuro sat in his normal spot at his red desk while Yako took a seat on the couch. Godai was watching one of his shows, so Yako decided to join in since she had nothing else to do. About an hour passed with only the sound of the TV and the occasional sound of a page turn from a newspaper Neuro was reading. Yako was beginning to wonder why she and Godai were still there.

'Haven't you ever wanted love?!' One of the characters hollered. Yako's mind strayed to today's culprit and how helpless she looked. She couldn't help but feel sorry for them every once in a while. For whatever reason, she turned her head to look behind her, and was surprised to see Neuro there. His green eyes were focused on the screen.

"N-Neuro…" She called quietly. Neuro's serious expression turned to that of a blank smile as he raised the remote in his hand and the TV clicked to the news. Godai yelled in protest and he lunged for the remote. Neuro easily pushed him aside, like he'd swatted a mosquito. Now, she could have been wrong, but Yako caught herself thinking that maybe the victim had gotten to Neuro, however impossible that seemed or not. Then again, his routine roughness with Godai said he was perfectly fine.

Godai pushed himself to his feet and grabbed his jacket. "I'm going to get dinner." He muttered in frustration.

"Get me something too, Godai-san!" The orange haired girl called after him. The door slammed shut and Yako wondered if he'd heard her or not. Neuro tossed the remote onto the couch and returned to the computer. "Eh?" She looked toward Neuro. What was the point of changing it to the news if he wasn't going to watch it? She stood up and walked over to his computer. She didn't like what she saw. There were diagrams of human anatomy on the screen. 'This could end badly…' Yako thought to herself. "N-Neuro, what's with the anatomy?"

"Studying humans." He replied. "Demons vary in anatomy, whereas you humans are all exactly the same. That makes it easier."

As she thought before, this could end badly. She could practically see the wheels turning in his head, thinking of new ways of torture. She already knew the answer, but she felt the need to ask anyway. "And just what is it about anatomy that got you so interested…?" She cut off when Neuro unexpectedly took her hand. He stared at her palm and ran his fingers along hers, extending them. He rubbed her fingertips, like he was looking for muscle or bone. Yako reflexively jerked her hand away and took a few steps back. "What are you up to?"

She was a bit surprised that he didn't answer. He simply turned back to the computer and began typing again. Yako couldn't do anything but stare at the demon, illuminated by the computer screen light. She didn't jerk her hand away because it hurt, but because he was actually being gentle. He had been looking at her hands with a child-like curiosity that she didn't recognize… it almost made her feel guilty for moving away so fast.

Yako's eyes strayed to the newspaper beside Neuro's arm. She walked closer and noticed a picture of… more dead bodies. As if she hadn't seen enough at her age. The title was the name of a new ship, Belladonna. "Um… Neuro? What's this?"

"Our next target." He replied, a smirk crossing his face.

"Eh?"

"I smell a mystery…"


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay, I lied. I'm posting this one on the same day. I already had this one finished anyway! X3**

"N-No way…" Yako stared up at Belladonna, the large grey ship that was in the newspaper Neuro was looking at. She shot a disbelieving look at the demon, who was paying no attention to her as he examined the ship. She was a bit scared to know the answer to the question she was about to ask. "Neuro… why are we here?"

"I told you before that I smelled a mystery, didn't I?"

"Well, yes, but…" She looked down at the multiple suitcases she was carrying.

"Let's go." He forced a pair of sunglasses onto her face and pulled her to the registration area by the arm. At this point, the orange haired girl was at a loss for words. Out of all the mysteries for Neuro to choose, it had to be one on a ship, and he just had to sign up as a victim… passenger. When Neuro was done, he started walking up a ramp onto the boat. Yako followed him cautiously, every once in a while looking down at the water beneath them. She wobbled a bit when she got on the boat to find Neuro with the blank smile on his face. "You're too slow, slug."

"Jeez."

"Come. Our room's this way." He started leading the way. The two-tone haired demon almost seemed to be excited about this. Yako, on the other hand, was polar opposite. She couldn't wait until they got home again… and the boat wasn't even moving. Neuro walked through long hallways until he got to the room 777.

'I wonder if he picked that room specifically.' Yako wondered to herself as he opened it with their key. The room was small, but nothing to complain about. Yako dumped the suitcases by the wardrobe and collapsed on the bed, peeling the sunglasses from her face. Neuro closed the door behind him and walked over to the bed, speaking in a low voice.

"All the dead victims were easily traced back to this ship. Supposedly, they jumped off the ship as a suicide attempt; however, the bodies did not sink. What's more, they were completely healthy people with no family issues or problems of their own as a reason for suicide. No dangerous chemicals were found in their bodies." Yako looked up at him to see a demonic green glow in his eyes. "I believe I already know the trick to this, but I wish to confirm it."

"And you had to sign up as a passenger?" Yako grumbled.

"Of course." Neuro responded with another blank smile. "Let's go watch the ship leave port." He latched his hand onto Yako's head and dragged her out of the room. A few long hallways later, Neuro had successfully dragged her to the top of the boat, where some other passengers leaned over the rails to watch as well. The boat wasn't as big as it looked from the outside, so it didn't take long to get to the top. Neuro released Yako's head and looked over the rail as well. Yako walked up beside him and gripped the railing while looking over. So much water…

The ship horn sounded and white foam began forming around the back. The ship swayed a bit as it started to move. Yako clung to the rail as she absent-mindedly looked out at the sea and the land that was getting farther and farther away. Neuro looked down at his slave. She was gripping the rails so tightly that her knuckles were white. Without much of a second thought, Neuro rested his hand on Yako's, making her jump. She glanced back at the demon.

"What is it, louse?"

"N-Nothing… it's just…" Yako's hand relaxed a bit under Neuro's and she tilted it upward. His long fingers curled to her palm. Neuro unexpectedly turned around and started walking back to their room. "Neuro!" She hurried after him and instinctively reached out for him, and froze when he turned to look at her. It was then that she realized she'd grabbed his hand. Time seemed to freeze as he looked down at her with an unreadable expression. All she could do was let her hand go limp and slide back down to her side. Without saying a word, Neuro walked through long hallways with Yako relatively far behind him. They got to their room and Yako returned to her sprawled out position on the bed.

"The mystery hasn't unfolded yet. It will be some time before it ripens. We have time to kill." He walked over to a suitcase and pulled out the brochure. "Let's go swimming."

Yako jerked herself into sitting position. "Swimming? Why?!" She yelled in protest.

"I wish to examine every inch of this boat."

The orange haired girl pulled her knee to her chest and wrapped both arms around it, hiding her mouth behind it. "It's not a boat… it's a ship." She mumbled.

Neuro hadn't put much thought into his louse's behavior, but at this point, it seemed like it would be a problem. She clearly had something against the cruise ship. Did she get scared because of the murders? She'd already seen so many, Neuro thought she would be used to it by now. He decided to dismiss the thought. "Yako, put your swimsuit on. I'm going down to the pool." Neuro commanded as he walked out the door. Once it was shut, Yako moved her knee from her face and stared down at the floor.

"Guess there's no point in hesitating anymore… I have to go there at some point." Yako mumbled to herself. She got her swimsuit from her luggage and walked into the bathroom, locking the door behind her in case the demon decided to come back. She undressed especially slowly, trying to stall as much as possible. She started wondering to herself what evidence Neuro could possibly hope to find at a pool. Sooner than she would have liked, she changed into a light-ish red two piece. "Why did I even pack this?!" She mumbled to herself. She didn't think she'd be wearing a bikini in front of Neuro. Anything with Neuro involved could end in torturous teasing.

She gathered her clothing, dumped it into her suitcase and headed to the pool. She found herself walking a bit faster every time she felt someone's eyes on her, up to the point where she was running. When the pool came to sight at the end of the hallway, she stopped dead in her tracks and leaned against the wall. She peered around it, feeling embarrassment flooding the rest of her emotions. If there was a slight chance that she could make it to the pool without Neuro seeing her, she would take it. She let out a deep sigh of relief when she didn't see anyone in a blue suit. She started to speed walk toward the pool stairs and once again froze up when she happened to see a tall, lean figure talking to one of the off-duty life guards. This is Yako – try to avoid Neuro at all costs and walk right into his line of vision without knowing it. She felt her face going red as Neuro finished his conversation and walked toward her. So that's why she didn't see him… he wasn't in his blue suit… he brought a swim suit with him. She'd never seen Neuro in anything shorter than long pants, not to mention shirtless. She never expected him to be so…

"You're late, slave." He commented as he bent down to her eye level.

"Y-You never gave me a time limit!" She defended.

"Common sense isn't included in a wood louse's brain, I see."

"…eh…" She couldn't find the words to respond to him… not when he was this close. She felt her face growing redder by the minute. "I-I'm getting in the pool." As she'd said, she started walking toward the pool, and he didn't stop her. She was a bit surprised that he didn't make some teasing remark about her swimsuit, and a bit pleased about that too, as long as it would stay that way. Neuro got in after her. While she was trying to keep herself occupied by swimming laps, he relaxed against the edge and inconspicuously glanced over the whole area.

Yako eventually caught herself stealing glances at the demon. It was unusual to see that much skin. She only ever saw his face, occasionally his arms and hands, though his hands were practically purple weapons of torture all on their own so she couldn't really call that skin. She noticed Neuro smiling widely, the kind of smile that he had on when he found something worth mentioning. She swam over to him and pushed her bangs up with her hand.

"Find anything yet?" She asked.

"I did." He said, staring out at the pool. Yako couldn't tell what he was specifically looking at, so she waited for him to speak. Her eyes traveled to his neck and chest. To be honest, she half expected him to have feathers or something since he always wore that jacket, but it seems he kept his body fully disguised (excluding times when he dropped his disguise around his face and hands, either to eat or scare Yako). His skin was perfectly normal, soft, warm… wait, warm? The demon stared down at the orange haired girl, who's hand rested below his collar bone. "What are you doing?"

"W-What indeed…" Her face went many shades of red and she dunked herself under water, her back towards Neuro. She glanced around under water, trying to distract herself. The ship started to sway, generously giving her something to distract herself with. Bubbles escaped her mouth and she quickly followed them upward. She quickly clung to the edge of the pool, gasping for breath. Her hands gripped the edge until her knuckles turned white and her knees curled in to her chest. She practically clung to the ship for dear life. Once again, Neuro noticed his slave's reaction to the ship. It was clearly too soon for the murders to begin, and he usually protected her anyway, so he didn't know why she seemed so scared.

"Yako…"

Before he could say anything, she squeezed her eyes shut and spoke to him. "Can we go back to the room? Please?" Neuro had seen her scared, and he'd seen her shake, but not like this. She was terrified for some untold reason. Neuro put an arm around her shoulders and one under her legs, pulling her away from the wall. He climbed out of the pool with ease, holding her in his arms. Yako was definitely surprised, but she wasn't about to comment. He grabbed a towel from the racks and draped it over her as he started walking through long hallways to their room. Once he closed their door behind him, he lowered her to her feet. "Um… t-thank you…"

"Go take a shower." He commanded. She didn't hesitate to obey his order. After she took her shower, she sat on the bed and waited for Neuro to get finished with his. He came out of the bathroom in his usual blue pants, but he didn't have his coat on. He wore his white shirt and had his hair tied back. "What have you been so scared of?" He bluntly asked.

"Eh… nothing."

"Answer me."

"I said it was nothing…"

"That's not the answer I'm looking for, slave." He persisted.

"Leave me alone! I told you it was nothing!" She yelled. She hid her eyes when she realized she over exaggerated. There was no way he was going to believe her. She didn't know what she was expecting from him, but she most definitely didn't expect him to turn and walk toward the door. "N…" She didn't want to be left alone… not all alone on this stupid ship… "Neuro!" Without thinking, she desperately threw her arms around his waist from behind, burying her face in his back. "D-Don't go… please…"

"Yako…" His tone was much less than caring. Yako cringed, but kept her arms around him, hoping for the best.

"I'm scared, okay?! I'm scared of the ship… no, the water! I'm scared of being surrounded by miles of open water! I just…" She started getting quieter. Neuro could feel her shaking. "Please don't leave…" She begged. He wasn't about to just leave her… sure, he'd roughed her up and tease her from time to time, but he'd never actually do anything to truly hurt her. Still, he didn't know how to comfort a human, nor was he sure he wanted to. He twisted around in her arms and wrapped his own around her back. "Neuro?" No choice… he walked over to the bed and fell onto it, dragging her with him. He laid on his side, facing her. She looked up at him with questioning eyes.

"Go to sleep." He said as he propped himself up on his elbow, looking down at her. She was about to say something, but he cut her off. "I won't leave, so go to sleep."

Yako cautiously scooted closer to him and hid her face in his chest. "Thank you…" She said quietly. Even without his arms around her, he could feel how tense she was. The ship started swaying again, too much for comfort. Yako instinctively pressed herself closer to him. Neuro started massaging her head gently with his free hand, and sighed to himself out of paranoia. Yako let herself relax. His hands… for once, they felt nice. She felt safe near him, which was saying a lot considering how he usually was, but she started thinking to herself; was there ever a time when she was truly scared of him? Didn't she always know it was a game to him? At last, her breathing started to even out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Reviews! :D**

** Carla: Yay! My first reviewer for this series! I'm not really trying to put you on the spot… but as of right now, you're my ****_only_**** reviewer. ^^" Thanks much, Carla!**

**Alright people, this means you've gotta review! Neuro demands reviews! He'll kill me if you don't… *shrinks away* XD**

**So this chapter is definitely longer… oh well. More for you, no? Thanks for sticking with me this far! J**

Yako let out a sigh as she woke up. The room was dark, and it felt like she was on a bed, but not her bed. Her back was cold but the front of her body was unnaturally warm. She automatically scooted closer to the heat source. Such a familiar scent… something comforting… and threatening. She opened her eyes only to see blue blur her vision along with a triangular shaped button.

'N-No way…' She thought to herself. She looked up and realized where she'd fallen asleep. She jumped back from the demon and stared at him for a little bit. Chills went up and down her spine for more reasons than one… not just the cold air, but she finally remembered why she'd fallen asleep so close to him in the first place. The rocking of the ship dulled her sense of instinct as she scooted closer to Neuro once more. This ship had to be messing with her head, she thought. Otherwise, she would have never fallen asleep next to a demon, a demon she so feared, and somehow admired. 'He normally sleeps on the ceiling but… is he asleep now?' Yako thought to herself. Seeing this as a once in a lifetime opportunity, she scooted up to his face. For some reason, all she wanted at this point was to get a good look at his face without fearing his rough games given for being too close. She'd never seen him look so relaxed… not this close anyway. She relaxed next to his arm, which he was using for a pillow. He had such long eye lashes… Yako reached toward his face and tucked a dark strand of hair behind his ear. She jumped when his eyes opened.

Neuro looked at her with half-asleep eyes and whispered something so quiet, she could barely hear him. "Don't stop…" He scooted closer to where his forehead was barely touching her chin. She got the hint and started massaging his head. A small moan escaped his lips as he pressed his face against her collar bone. Yako had never heard such a sound from him… she smiled at her small accomplishment. He was allowed to stay there for a few moments longer.

"Neuro… did you stay with me all night?" Yako asked cautiously.

"I told you I would. Did you forget already?" He asked in his normal, smooth voice.

"No, it's just… thank you." She said the last part quietly. Neuro turned onto his back to look at the clock behind him.

"We're late." He grumbled as he sat up.

"Late for what?"

"Breakfast."

Just that simple word got Yako out of bed. She gathered up some clothing and headed into the bathroom. She did her best to keep thoughts about the ship out of the way, not to say it wasn't difficult for her with the constant swaying. She more or less stumbled out of the bathroom, still trying to coordinate herself. She was surprised at the sight she saw next. Red… Neuro was wearing red. He wore a red and black sleeveless shirt with black pants and his hair was tied back. Even Yako had to admit he made a sleeveless look kind of fancy. Of course he had to wear his dark red gloves, but those weren't exactly optional. Yako felt a bit too casual with her kaki multi pocket shorts and blue t-shirt. He glanced at her, and assuming she was ready, he walked toward the door.

"Let's go, Yako."

Moments later, they were in a large room with a small sized buffet. Neuro glanced at the food and made a face. He knew he could use the excuse _I don't eat breakfast_ as an excuse for not even touching the unfavorable human food, but he started to wonder how long that excuse would last when he started skipping lunch and dinner as well. He picked a random table and waited for Yako to join him. He let his eyes wonder about the room, looking for clues on the mystery. Yako put her plate of food down on the table and sat across from Neuro. He was a bit surprised by the lack of food on her plate. It wasn't its usual mountain form. She'd barely gotten anything. "So… what are we doing today?" Yako asked, trying not to sound as uneasy as she felt.

"We're lying low for now. It would be bad if they figured out why we're here this early in advance. I want to clear an escape route before we act." Neuro responded, still scanning over the room. Yako watched as Neuro's acid green eyes flicked about, focusing on object after object, until they focused on her. "What is it, slave?"

"Have you found anything yet?"

"None of the victims were murdered in this particular room." He announced quietly.

"Well, they were suicides, weren't they?"

A smirk spread across the demon's lips and he held his hand out to a curtain, letting one of his little bugs crawl across his arm and hide in the curtain. "Yes, they were." Yako decided to stay quiet. She knew that Neuro probably had the mystery for the most part figured out. It would only be a matter of time. Once Yako was done eating, she followed Neuro about as he explored the ship. There were so many things to do… and for whatever reason, Neuro picked basketball. Yako sat down on a fold up chair with some other families and watched Neuro as he instantly picked up on the game. A small smile slipped onto her face. She'd never thought she'd see it… Neuro playing a human game with humans, and actually seem like he was enjoying it. The game itself didn't seem too fair though. Neuro was fast and naturally swifter than the other players, and to top it all off, he was tall.

"He's good, isn't he?" A smooth voiced woman asked. Yako turned her head to see a rather beautiful dark haired woman sitting next to her, drawing on a sketchpad.

"Who?" Yako asked.

"The man with the red shirt and dark bangs." She replied. Her hand slowed to a stop and she met Yako's eyes. "Don't you agree with me?"

Yako's eyes widened. 'Wow, she's so pretty…' Yako thought to herself. The orange haired girl blinked and looked at the demon once more. "Yeah." Her eyes strayed to the woman's sketch pad. "May I see?"

"Of course." The woman replied. Yako leaned over to look at the drawing and noticed she'd been drawing Neuro. The drawing itself looked so professional. It looked just like him… the figure and the shading was all so perfect.

"Wow… that's amazing! It looks just like him!"

"So what's your name?" The woman asked with a friendly face. Yako smiled, but remembered that Neuro didn't want anyone knowing who she was yet.

"Yasumi… Yasumi Konoto." Yako replied.

"It's nice to meet you, Yasumi. I'm Kyoko." The woman introduced herself.

"So, are you here on vacation with anyone?" Yako asked.

"Oh, no. My father is the captain of this ship, so I like to come along every once in a while. What about you?"

"Eh… well…" Yako stuttered as Neuro approached her. She looked up at him. He'd played sixty four wins and he wasn't even sweating.

"Did you enjoy your rest?" Neuro asked in his _I'm perfectly human_ voice. He rested a hand on Yako's head as he sat down next to her, putting her in between him and the dark haired woman.

"I-Is he with you, Yasumi?" Kyoko asked. It was hard to tell whether it was disbelief in her voice or if it was excitement.

"Well, yes." Yako replied. Kyoko leaned closer and whispered in her ear.

"Are you two a couple?"

"N-No! No! We're not… we…" Yako's stuttering was interrupted when Neuro appeared between the two from behind, glancing at the sketchbook.

"Is that me? Wow, you're an amazing artist. Are you a professional or just talented?" Neuro asked, clearly faking it. Maybe it was clear to Yako, but Kyoko certainly didn't think so. Kyoko was blushing a bit.

"Um… Kyoko's father is this ship's captain." Yako decided to throw in. If she was right, they might be able to ask for a tour to search the ship a bit.

"Mm? Kyoko, huh? How about Kyoko-chan?" Neuro asked playfully. Yako wanted to whack him upside the head, but she resisted the dangerously punishable gesture.

'Wake up Neuro! Ask for a tour!' Yako yelled in her head. Was he really only interested in her name as of now? …Wait… was he really… not faking it? Neuro walked in between chairs and stood in front of the two girls.

"If you're not busy, would you give us a tour, Kyoko-chan? It seems I only managed to find the basketball court." Neuro asked.

"Oh, yeah, sure! I don't mind!" Kyoko stuffed her sketchpad into a bag, but before she could get up, Neuro offered his hand to her. Yako's jaw just about dropped to the floor. Neuro? Neuro being polite… when it _wasn't_ a client?! She took his hand and he helped her up, not bothering to back up. They were so close… and he was smiling down so sweetly… a smile Yako had never seen. If there would ever be a point where Yako would melt away in disbelief, this would be it. "Um… shall we go?" Kyoko asked, moving her hand away from his.

"Alright. Come along, Yasumi." Neuro called, catching on with Yako's new name. The orange haired girl stood and obediently followed.

Kyoko lead Neuro and Yako through the ship, showing them various activities and activity centers. The ship seemed much bigger from the inside. She showed them just about everything, from shops and sports to theaters and mini-golf. Yako followed behind Neuro and Kyoko. She didn't know what was messing with her head more, Neuro's abnormally normal behavior, or the swaying of the ship. She looked straight ahead, watching Neuro and Kyoko converse. She didn't actually listen in, but she could tell by Neuro's relaxed smile that he was either getting the information he needed, or… he couldn't be enjoying himself, right? Yako felt rather helpless just following, and the gentle swaying of the ship was only adding to the irritating feeling she had in her stomach already.

"Yasumi, are you alright?" Kyoko's voice interrupted Yako's thoughts. The two in front were now looking back at her. Kyoko seemed worried, whereas Neuro's expression was hard to read. Yako quickly broke eye contact with Neuro and stared at the floor.

"Kyoko… where's room 777 from here?" Yako asked. Neuro narrowed his eyes at his slave. Without waiting for him to ask, Yako spoke up, possibly in fear that he wouldn't ask. "I'm just feeling a little sea sick. I wanted to lay down for a while."

"Oh, well, it's relatively close. Kyoko found a hallway and pointed at it. "Just keep walking and at the first turn, you'll go right. The 700 rooms are a little ways after the big paintings."

"Thank you, Kyoko. Neuro… why don't you continue the tour and catch me up later?" Yako suggested.

"Of course." Neuro responded. She wasn't sure if that was a kind act or an 'of course, I'm not passing up this chance to check out the ship whether you're sick or not, slave'. The orange haired girl walked, half stumbled down the long hallway and Neuro followed Kyoko in the other direction. Yako followed Kyoko's instructions for a few moments, and stopped dead in her tracks. She took a glance over her shoulder. She wasn't sure what she was expecting to see, but whatever it was, it never came. Her heart started pounding and she found herself running the rest of her way to the room. It was true that she felt a little sea sick, but right now she was more concerned about the uneasy feeling in her chest rather than the one in her stomach. She started running out of breath, and she wondered how long she could go. How far had she gone already? She slowed a bit. Where was she? Did she miss the turn? She decided to backtrack, hoping it would get a little off her mind. She eventually wound up at a dead end. Had she turned somewhere? She couldn't remember. The two-tone haired demon was flooding her thoughts for some reason. Without even bothering to ask herself why, she ran aimlessly through the halls, searching for a door that would lead her outside. Everything seemed blurry… the halls, the room numbers… her thoughts. She half consciously ran toward a door with a blinding light shining through a small window. She grabbed the handle and yanked it open. _Wham._

The sudden collision with… whatever she ran into… sent her falling backward. She braced herself, only to feel a strong hand grab her wrist and pull her back into balance. 'What happened?' She wondered to herself and opened her eyes slowly, trying to adjust to the blinding sun outside. A man stood in front of her. He had dark, short hair and a long face. He looked kind of like HAL, from a previous mystery, but a little different. He seemed as if he was in his late 30's.

"Sorry. Are you alright?" He asked in a smooth voice.

"Y-Yeah." Yako replied, rubbing her sore nose.

"Where's the fire?"

"No… I just got lost." Yako noticed a small pin on his shirt. It was a small, silver pin that looked like a compass rose in a ship steering wheel.

"Where are you trying to get to?" He interrupted her thoughts.

"I… don't really want to go anywhere." She whispered. At this point, she really didn't want to go back to the room. She'd be alone with her thoughts… and she didn't really like what kept appearing in said thoughts. "You're a crew member?" She asked, placing her attention back on his pin.

"Yes, you could say that. If you have nothing to do, you can follow me while I check up on the passengers and I'll give you a little tour."

'This guy is a crew member, meaning if I follow him, I might be able to find a clue or possibly meet the captain.' Yako thought to herself. "I'd like that, thank you… Mr. …?"

"Kyosuke." He introduced himself simply with a kind hearted smile. "And you are?"

"Yasumi Konoto." Yako recited. This all seemed too easy. There had to be a catch somewhere she just wasn't seeing.

"Well, Miss Konoto, I'm going to the theaters first." He said as he started leading the way. Yako struggled to match his pace without looking as off-balance as she felt. He definitely had sea legs. After a while, they walked into a dark theater room, and after a quick check, he was moving again. Yako hadn't expected such a big movie theater in a ship. Such heavy equipment too… they must have a lot of confidence that the ship wouldn't sink.

Aside from that, something about Kyosuke seemed familiar, more familiar than HAL. Who else did she know with dark hair who moved and spoke like Kyosuke? She felt like it should be plainly obvious. For some reason, she felt a bit more at ease with him around.

She must have been following him around for a good four or five hours, taking her time looking over the ship with her tour guide. She never expected it to be so big, thought the whole five hours weren't just spent on looking around. At some point, Yako wound up sitting by him on the deck, some few yards behind the people looking over the rails. They sat on what seemed like steps. They talked about each other, and found themselves laughing. Yako laughed when he told her about one time when his wife almost burned their house down trying to cook a new foreign food for the first time.

"That sounds like my mom." Yako commented in between laughs. "Although, she burns just about everything, so we have a housekeeper."

The mood seemed to change, not immediately, but quicker than Yako would have liked. "My wife died a few years ago." Yako looked back at Kyosuke. He was staring out at the sea. The smile he wore was dimmer.

Yako leaned back on her hands and looked toward the sky. Now she realized who he reminded her of. The way he talked, moved… and just his presence reminded her of her father. "My dad died a few years ago as well. Of course, that's probably nothing like losing a spouse, but… I still miss him."

"He's still with you." Kyosuke murmured. Yako looked back at him with a questioning face. "Even after they die, a father's job is to watch over his children… forever." Yako was taken aback by his words. More importantly, should she be offering him words of comfort as well? Though, she had no idea what to say about losing a wife. She didn't know that world very well. "You know… you remind me of my daughter. You're a good listener, and you're a kind girl."

Yako let another smile slip and she sat up again. "And you remind me of my father."

Kyosuke gave her a bit of a surprised look from the corner of his eye. With a lighthearted grin, he put an arm around Yako's shoulders and pulled her to him. "?!" She was surprised, and even a little scared, but for whatever reason, she relaxed right away. She could tell by the look on his face that he was thinking of his daughter, whoever she may be. To be honest, Yako really didn't mind it. His arms reminded her of her father. She didn't know why she could relax around a stranger, but it didn't feel out of place.


	4. Chapter 4

**Bonjour, ma chérie! ^^" Oh, how awkward that is to say to someone it they know French. This all ties to a certain thought I had during school – OMG YOU GUYS, WHAT IF NEURO SPOKE FRENCH?! If you've watched MTNN Japanese version (as there is no English, I should assume to have), think about Neuro's voice speaking French! I practically melted when I thought of that…**

**Anyway, enough of my random blabber! Review time!**

** Fairyofdreames: Thank you very much! :D**

** HollyJollyXmas: I'm very glad you like it! As far as fanfictions go, I'm a master of launching people out of character, so I'm trying my best to stop doing that. It's funny cuz when I'm writing about Neuro and Kyoko, I get all fidgety. XD Thank you for the review!**

** Carla: Ah ha! My epic first-reviewer! Glad to see you read Chapter 3 as well! Thank you very much and I hope you enjoy this chapter too! :3**

** Reader Piggy-Poo: I'm glad you like it! Thanks much!**

**And without further ado, here is your next chapter! I hope you like it! Thank you too all my readers and reviewers, I love you all. :3**

Around dinner time, Kyosuke walked Yako back to room 777. Neuro hadn't gotten back yet, so Yako figured she should wait.

"Thank you for today, Kyosuke." Yako smiled at him before she closed the door.

"No problem. It was nice talking to you. Lock the door." He replied.

"Yes sir…" Yako replied like an obedient child. With a chuckle, he walked away and Yako locked the door. She sat on the bed and looked at the room service menu on the nightstand. Maybe it was being with Kyosuke, but Yako didn't feel sick to her stomach anymore, and she hoped it would stay that way. She still sighed to herself. "If I order room service now, will my stomach feel upset later?" She wondered. She never had to worry about eating before, so this frustrated her. She couldn't help but smile though. Even though Kyosuke was a complete stranger, he didn't feel like one. She felt like she was talking to her father the whole time, so much so that she was feeling nostalgic, thinking back to the days when she would run up to her father after he was done with work for the night and give him a big hug. She fell back on the bed and let her eyes slide shut. Maybe if she could fall asleep now, she would dream about her father… and dream that her family was back together again.

Before she could completely drift off, there was a knock at the door.

"Yasumi? Are you there?" A slightly familiar voice called. Yako groaned and clumsily stumbled to the door, looking through the peephole. Kyoko? What was she holding? Yako unlocked the door and opened it a little way to see Neuro practically dangling off her shoulder. He looked like a corpse.

"What happened?" Yako asked. She wasn't as concerned as she was just plain confused.

"Sorry, I took him out for a drink and… he sort of collapsed." Kyoko replied.

'Must be an act.' Yako thought. "Here, I'll help you carry him." Yako ducked under one of his arms and helped Kyoko get him to the bed. Once they dropped him on the bed, Yako glanced at Kyoko. "Thanks for your help. I've got it from here."

"Are you sure? I can't get him anything…?" Kyoko started.

"No, it's fine." Yako cut her off. She didn't know why she was so irritated with Kyoko at the moment, but Kyoko seemed to be getting pushy. Without saying much else, Kyoko headed for the door and Yako locked it behind her. She looked back at the demon and walked over to the bedside. Neuro's eyes opened, showing he was clearly faking unconsciousness. "Was there really a need to play drunk?"

She suddenly felt a firm hand grip her wrist, and in one swift movement, she was forced onto the bed and Neuro was hovering over her.

"Neuro?" At the sound of his name, he dropped down on her chest, knocking the wind out of her. "N-Neuro…! You're heavy!" He actually was lighter than she expected… but that didn't mean he wasn't heavy anyway. This all made Yako realize how big his torso was.

"I couldn't help it… she smelled nice." He mumbled by Yako's ear.

"I thought you didn't like the way humans smelled." Yako replied, still struggling to lift him off.

"…I didn't say it was a good nice."

"What kind of nice are you talking about?" Yako turned her head and realized how close his face was. The distant look in his eyes concerned her enough to distract her from that last thought. "Neuro, are you really drunk?"

"Mmm…" The moment she felt his hot breath on her neck, she jumped and somehow hoisted him onto his back. She sat up on his stomach and pinned his shoulders down, assuming she could keep him there.

"Neuro, how much did you have to drink?" Yako demanded. With a tired look in his eyes, Neuro held up two fingers. "Two cups?" He held his hands about a foot apart. "Two bottles… okay…" She let out a sigh of disbelief. "And here I thought a demon was supposed to be stronger than a human. I guess you're about the same."

"Only with alcohol." He replied in his _I'm human_ voice.

"You don't have to fake it." Yako mumbled. She instantly regretted that last statement as she made eye contact with his acid colored eyes.

"You're right…" With another quick movement, Yako was on her back again and Neuro relaxed on top of her, with his arms around her. "I don't have to fake anything." He ran his hands down her sides to her hips, making her jolt. She hoped he couldn't feel her heart pounding.

"Neuro! What the heck are you doing?!" She pushed on his chest, but that didn't get her anywhere. His hands traveled back up to her waist. One of his hands strayed to Yako's hand and he laced his fingers through hers. Yako stopped struggling for a moment. Neuro seemed to be completely focused on their hands that were entwined together. He slid off Yako half way, clearly giving her the option of leaving, but for whatever reason, she didn't. With her free hand, she covered his eyes. "Don't worry about showering tonight, just get to sleep. It'll wear off by tomorrow."

He moved her hand but didn't open his eyes. With a sigh, he scooted towards her until his face was buried in her neck.

He was warm… a little too warm, and his breathing was slightly uneven. Even a large amount like two bottles shouldn't have this kind of effect, right? Was Yako finally seeing one of his weak points? If she was, she wasn't enjoying it like she thought she would.

Only after Yako heard Neuro's breathing even out did she allow herself to get drowsy and fall asleep in the demon's arms.

*777*

Neuro woke up in a particularly bad mood. Annoyance practically ran through his veins. At least he'd finally found what he'd been looking for. With those thoughts aside, he had no idea where he'd fallen asleep. Without opening his eyes, he shifted around a little, trying to figure out where he was without allowing the light that leaked in the room to penetrate his line of vision. His lips brushed against something soft as he moved his head. …He'd better not have fallen asleep by Kyoko. He pulled away and finally opened his eyes. …Yako? His eyes focused on the young, orange-haired girl that laid half underneath him. Another surge of annoyance flooded over him. He was annoyed that he'd actually fallen asleep like that. He was annoyed that words from the previous culprit still echoed in his head, and he was annoyed that he was still holding Yako's hand. With that last thought, he sat up completely and uncurled his fingers, moving his hand away. He sat on the bed with his arms crossed, pulling the trick to the mystery together in his head.

*777*

"N-Neuro?" Yako sighed as she woke up. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her fingers flex as she noticed he wasn't there. Yako opened her eyes and squinted in the light as they focused on the demon sitting at the bed side.

"I know the trick to this mystery now." He said in a low, smooth voice. "All I need to do is confirm it. Yako, get your swimsuit on again."

"Eh?" Yako watched him in disbelief as he gathered some form of clothing and left the room. She sat up on the bed and grumbled. "Again?" Why would he want to go to the pool again? She let out a sigh and gathered up her swimsuit, changing a bit faster than before so he wouldn't scold her for being "late".

Yako made her way to the pool quickly, wanting nothing more than to get this over with. She jumped into the pool, making a cannon ball as she plunged into the cool water. Bubbles rushed past her and the water dulled her senses as she allowed herself to sink lower. Her eyes opened to see the two-tone haired demon right in front of her, his eyes glittering green with interest at whatever he'd been focused on before she'd jumped right in front of him. They both swam for the surface and Yako gasped for breath, feeling her face going red.

"Confirming this at night would also be a good idea, since no one will be around. I need to get a closer look at the filter system."

"W-What about using one of your bug eye things?" Yako asked, clearly not pleased with the idea of returning to the pool yet again.

"They don't like chlorine." Neuro replied with his blank smile on. Yako felt like he was lying, but as displeased as she was about the idea, nothing could displease her more than what happened next. With a glance over Neuro's shoulder, she could see a girl with long dark hair walking up to the diving boards. She wore a purple bikini and her hair was tied back.

'Kyoko…' Yako thought to herself.

As if he was reading her mind, Neuro turned and looked behind him, focusing on Kyoko's slender figure as she skillfully dived into the water. Neuro's lips spread into a smile.

Yako's thoughts instantly strayed to the previous culprit's words. '_Haven't you ever wanted love?_' Yako stared up at Neuro as he watched Kyoko and felt her heart throb in an unrecognized pain. Neuro… did he want Kyoko?

Sooner than she would have liked, Yako noticed Kyoko swimming toward them. "Neuro, I'm really sorry about last night! I didn't think the wine would be so strong…"

"It's alright, I'm just fine." Neuro replied. Yako didn't even register how out of character he was being… she just wanted to do something to get away from Kyoko, though she didn't know what.

Yako got a little closer to him. "Neur…"

"Yasumi." Neuro cut her off. He turned his head toward her. "Why don't you go back to the room?"

"What?" Whether intended or not, those words felt like an arrow straight through the chest to Yako. After all this time with Neuro… since her father died… was she really going to stand in second place at best under this girl he met only a day ago? Maybe she was reading too much into it, but it seemed so obvious. What else was she supposed to think?

"Go back to the room." He commanded. His voice wasn't harsh, but Yako knew that tone. There was something else though, a different emotion in Yako. The frustration that made her want to rebel against him, no matter the consequence.

"Why?" Yako protested. His eyes narrowed slightly as he stared down at his disobedient louse. "I just got here! I don't see the reason I have to leave just because someone else showed up! Who on earth died and made _you_ king?!"

"Yasumi." Death seemed to be dripping from his harsh tone. Neuro's glittering green eyes watched her. Yako's own instincts told her to back down. She knew he was the more powerful between them, but this frustration she felt for him… this other deeper emotion she couldn't comprehend… she glared up at him.

"Yes, your majesty." With pure annoyance woven into her words, she lifted herself out of the pool. She didn't bother glancing back at them. She quickly made her way towards the room. Once she was in the hallway, she started getting a headache. "Why did I do that…?" She whispered to herself. She slowed her pace and stared down at the dark red carpet flooring as she guided herself with a hand on the wall. There was no doubt in her mind that Neuro was mad at her. Her heart started pounding. She didn't know what to do. Neuro… Neuro and Kyoko…

The air almost seemed thicker. It was hard to breathe. Something was off… Yako swayed closer to the wall and tried to keep herself standing. It was only a little further to the room. A slight stinging sensation built up in her chest. This wasn't the same as what she felt earlier… was it in her lungs? Yako shut her eyes tight as she tried to slow her breathing, but she couldn't. Her lungs began to burn, as did her head.

'What's happening…?' Yako could only hear the sound of her labored breathing. Not good. Her arms shook, trying to support her as she awkwardly leaned against the wall. Her eyes opened a little and suddenly focused on one of Neuro's eye bugs, staring up at her with it's robotic-like green eye. "N-Neuro…" She whispered in between painful gasps. The last thing she could hear was the sound of rushed footsteps before two strong arms wrapped around her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! Well, like most people, I'm studying to high heaven for semester tests… but unlike most people, this means NOTHING. I'm still going to post the next chapter next week, studying or not! *holds fist in the air triumphantly***

**Wow, chapter five already… Anyways, REVIEW TIME!**

** HollyJollyXmas: Ohmaigawd I'm so glad you like it! Oh yes, I love me some intoxicated demon! XD I'm very glad I'm on the nice list cuz I'm asking for a table with a built in heater! (Kotatsu) Most of the answers to your questions shall be revealed! **

** Carla: Well, I certainly don't want you to die! Here's the next chapter! And yes, sorry for leaving everyone on a cliffhanger. I have no idea why I write them when I hate them so much… but that's me. ^^"**

** Goldy: Glad to have a new reviewer! I'm glad you like it!**

** Hachi: You know how hard it is to roleplay and not give away the story?! XD Sorry for the suspense… you know you love me. :3**

**Well everyone, thank you for sticking with me as long as you have. I love you all! *Hugs***

"Mm." Yako squinted as she opened her eyes, though the room was mostly dark. The quiet hum of the TV and a comforting, familiar scent made her feel like she was back in the office for a moment, and then she remembered she was on the ship. But… where on the ship was she? She opened her eyes completely and looked up to see Neuro, his face illuminated by the light of the TV. He was wearing his normal white no sleeve shirt and blue pants. He looked tired… Yako tensed. She was in his lap? He had an arm around her shoulders, keeping her from falling. Her head was on his collar bone. For whatever reason, she had his blue jacket on. "Neuro?"

At the sound of his name, Neuro's eyes met her gaze. His free hand traveled to her forehead, cheek, and neck, checking for a temperature. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah…"

"No problems breathing?"

"Not really…" Her mind finally started waking up. What had happened to her? She _was_ having problems breathing earlier… and the arms she felt before she blacked out... they were the same arms that held her now. Despite what she'd said at the pool, Neuro still helped her. Before all that though… Her thoughts were interrupted as he started to somehow get out from under her. She slumped against the chair he was sitting in as he walked into the hallway. "Neuro, I'm sorry!"

He glanced back at her. She could feel his eyes on her, though she didn't look up at him.

"For all that I said earlier… I'm sorry! I got scared! You and Kyoko…" She cut herself off, wondering how she could word it… if possible in a way that wouldn't make her feel that pain in her chest again.

"Me and Kyoko…?" He urged as he tied his hair back. Yako glanced up at him cautiously.

"You and Kyoko… look so good together."

Neuro automatically looked over his shoulder at her. "What are you talking about, slave?"

"…I mean, she's beautiful… and talented and she's the captain's daughter. And then you… you're strong, cunning… smart…" Yako's shoulders tensed and she broke eye contact with him. She never would have said any of this a few days ago.

"You think I have feelings for her?"

"Of course! You were all over her. I've only ever seen you act all polite in front of clients, and…"

"And you? Leaning into the arms of a random stranger?" He countered. Yako's eyes widened. He saw that? When she was with Kyosuke?

"No! I don't have feelings for Kyosuke! He reminded me of my dad!" She looked up at Neuro once again. "I don't have feelings for him… someone already…" Almost instantly, the air in the room felt thicker. Was it happening again? A slight stinging started building in her chest again. "…y-you already…"

"Yako." She hardly even noticed Neuro move towards her until he was kneeling in front of her, looking into her eyes as she hung her head. She couldn't say anything. Her lungs felt like they were burning. "Yako, don't…" He didn't know what to say to her. She was starting to hyperventilate again. He stood and pulled her to his chest, holding onto her tightly.

Is this what it felt like to die? This lack of air... it hurt like mad. She wasn't sure if there was really a reason why, but when Neuro held her like that, it almost seemed to ease the pain a little. She struggled to get her breath under control while she still could. Though he wouldn't admit it, he felt relief when he heard her breathing even out a little.

Neuro walked her over to the bed and lay down on his side without releasing her. He let out a sigh as he wrapped one arm around her back and the other hand on the back of her head. "You humans… you're too fragile."

*777*

Yako woke up a few hours later, for the third time in the demon's arms. "Are you awake?"

"Yes." Neuro replied simply.

"I'm sorry. How long was I out?"

"Four hours."

He stayed awake for four hours? "T-thank you… for staying with me. Um, Neuro?"

"Hm?"

She had no idea what she was going to ask. She did her best to try to block out previous thoughts since they seemed to be the cause of the hyperventilation. "A-Are you going to turn off the TV?" She asked as she focused on the quiet voices from a TV show.

"No." With yet another simple response, Neuro's arms tightened around her enough to hold her closer without hurting her. A few days ago, she might have been scared, but Yako felt safe in the demon's protective arms. "I need to go back to the pool to check something out. I'll be back in a few minutes." He mumbled into her hair.

"Take me with you."

"No."

"Why not?" Yako asked, trying not to sound rebellious.

"I can't have you hyperventilating under water."

"If I can't go with you, then why am I even here?" She asked softly. He let out a sigh as he wove his fingers through her hair. "Please let me go with you."

He drew back slightly and looked at her face. She looked up at him hopefully. He drew out another, deeper sigh and sat up. 'What's with me?' He thought to himself. Earlier when Yako had hyperventilated, he'd almost completely dropped his mask, the mask that disguised his true emotions. When they fought, he'd let it slip a little, but the moment she stopped breathing, he almost seemed to become a different person… no, just a person. Not a demon… a human. He cursed under his breath. Why did Yako suddenly seem so important? No, that's not entirely correct. She'd been important before, but at the thought of losing her…

"Neuro?" Yako whispered after a long, awkward silence of watching Neuro stare off into space.

"You can come, but you have to be fast and quiet." He instructed. Letting a smile slip onto her face, Yako pushed herself up from the bed. Neuro got up as well and gathered some towels, just to be sure that they weren't discovered by leaving water drops behind. Yako was already ready. Neuro's jacket slipped off her shoulders onto the bed. She shivered a bit at the cold air and adjusted her swim suit. Once Neuro finished changing in the bathroom, they turned the TV volume up a bit and quietly walked into the hall, locking the door behind them. Neuro's large, silent stride was hard to keep up with, but she managed somehow on the way to the pool. Once they were at the pool, Neuro slipped into the water and Yako waited by the edge until he came up again. "Go turn on the filters."

With only a guess of where such filters may be, she headed to a nearby closet with the words "Employees Only" written in white on a black door. As she opened the heavy metal door, she found a wide variety of switches. She flicked one and the quiet hum of the swimming pool started up. She closed the door and quickly made her way back to the pool. Neuro signaled her to get in from under the water and she obeyed without hesitation. The water was much colder than she expected. She shivered a bit and swam toward Neuro. He seemed to be paying close attention to the drains. They didn't seem out of the ordinary to her. She swam toward one of the drains. The first thing she noticed was a buildup in this one… something solid blocking the holes. She cautiously scratched the strange, lightly colored rock through the drain holes and one came loose. Why was water coming out of the drains… and what's more… why did it burn her eyes? She quickly put her hand over it and searched for Neuro. How could he hold his breath that long?! Yako kicked the bottom of the pool and swam to the surface. Once she broke to the surface, she took in a big breath and glanced around the room. Footsteps?

Neuro studied the drain. Something seemed off. Besides the fact that it was just a normal drain, he expected to find something different… something irregular about the pool. He turned when he felt a hand on his back. Yako did her best trying to tell him there was someone there. He looked up to the surface of the pool and saw the figure of a human. He quickly pulled Yako under the small shadow of the diving board, their only source of light being the moonlight. This was bad… they couldn't be discovered this early. Neuro understood the basic layout of the mystery, but he still needed the small details. Getting caught now would be the end of it. The figure seemed to be squatting down beside the pool edge, looking into the barely illuminated water.

Yako squeezed Neuro's hand, trying to fight back the urge to breathe. Neuro quickly got the hint. Being a demon, it was a simple task to hold his breath for long periods of time. Yako already had troubles with breathing earlier… what would happen now? Neuro glared up at the figure. Why did this person have to stay by the pool so long? Yako felt like her lungs were going to pop. Neuro could feel her hand tremble. At this point, there didn't seem to be much of a choice. Yako's eyes opened slightly at the touch of Neuro's hand on her cheek. He pushed his lips to hers, blowing air into her mouth. Her eyes opened wider and she felt her heart racing. If not for the figure above threatening their discovery, the moment would have been… enjoyable. The moonlight cast soft rays into the water. Seemingly surrounded by Neuro's warmth, the water didn't feel so cold anymore. It was strange… Yako didn't expect Neuro's lips to be so soft.

Neuro listened intently to the sound of vanishing footsteps, but didn't move from his position until he couldn't sense the human anywhere near. With an arm around Yako's waist, he quickly pulled her to the surface. They broke the surface and Neuro grasped the edge of the pool, holding Yako's body mostly above the water. She gasped for breath with her forehead against Neuro's chest, trying desperately to both breathe and hide the blush she knew was on her cheeks. Yako grasped Neuro's shoulders and he lifted both of them out of the pool with ease. Still staying completely silent, he tossed her a towel while he dried himself off. When she was moderately dry, he took her by the arm and ran through the halls, still somehow silent. He quickly got the two of them back to the room and locked the door behind him. Yako stood in the middle of the dark room, barely visible in the dim TV light. Neuro looked her over, somewhat lost in the moment of relief and the mysterious air in the room.

"N-Neuro…" Yako called quietly. Neuro half consciously walked over to her, standing between her and the TV. She looked up at him with some unreadable emotion in her eyes. Her heart pounded uncontrollably as she raised her hands to his chest, unsure of what he would do. As if in response, Neuro's hands lightly grasped her upper arms and barely moved closer to her. He stopped when their foreheads were about an inch away from the other, staring down into her eyes. Neither of them wanted to move… and yet, they did. Yako leaned a little closer, but her mind was telling her something entirely different.

Neuro wasn't moving… he was only staring down at her with half lidded eyes and slightly parted lips. She was thinking the same thing he was… if something were to happen now, then everything from there on would be different. Especially in the office, things would be very different… and even if they both longed for the old, familiar vibe between demon and human, things wouldn't be the same… but at this very moment, Yako wanted to feel his lips one more time. Neuro kept staring into her eyes, almost desperately trying to read her. It felt like there was a small, thin string holding him away from her. The sensation of her warm breath against his lips was slowly breaking that string. He wanted to close his eyes… but something caught his attention before he could.

"What's wrong?" Neuro asked in his usual, firmer voice.

"Eh?" Yako looked up at him confused as he pulled away. He lightly brushed his hand against her cheek, wiping away a tear. He stared at her, waiting for an answer. "I-I don't know… my eyes burn." It was probably because of the burst of water earlier.

"They burn?"

"I found a drain earlier in the pool. There was a buildup behind the drain and a rock came loose. A stream of… something came out of it and burned my eyes. Could that have been what you were looking for?" Neuro seemed interested, but he didn't answer. He seemed to be deep in thought, so Yako took this opportunity to retreat to her towel and search through it. She pulled out a dull greenish rock that she'd been holding onto, but when she dropped her towel, it fell out of her hand. She held the small piece before Neuro and he took it, looking it over. He walked to the bedside and sat in a chair, carefully examining the rock... solid chlorine. That demonic, sharp-toothed smile of his spread across his face.

"Good girl, Yako." He held the stone between his fingers. Yako looked back at him, somewhat happy that she was actually helpful in this situation. "Go take a shower. Tomorrow may be the day we solve the puzzle."


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey everyone! Chapter 6 is here! An update on my life: Some of you know I'm a Neuro cosplayer, so I must mention that last week, I was running around as Neuro in Yako's sweater. ^_^ 'Twas quite fun… so I conclude either Neuro gets a slight enjoyment from being a transvestite or he loves Yako enough to have an interest in her clothes… XD As I said, it was fun either way.**

**What a lovely night at 2 in the morning… I shall try to sound moderately intelligent when responding to reviews:**

** nanakk928: O_O That's a big syndrome… I'm sorry! I didn't mean to inflict such [an uncommon] condition! I couldn't help but laugh reading that review though. I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter! :D**

** Carla: I know, I wanted them to kiss too… It was rather torturous to write. I should hope this next chapter will make up for it… somehow. (This is the point where I continue typing in a dark corner away from society.) X3**

** HollyJollyXmas: I love reading your reviews, you're quite detailed! :3 I'm very glad you enjoyed it! Personally, I really hope the mystery I thought up works out really well. I seriously admire the manga artist for this series… all those solutions and alibis they came up with are so amazing!**

** Guest: Thanks very much! Glad you liked it! :D**

** Hachi: (No, Hachi-ko doesn't leave reviews but I get to hear them face to face.) Did I keep you in suspense again? I can't help it, it's fun! Love you too, ma chérie! (…Stop making that disapproving face at the screen. :P Yes, I can see you! Just don't look at the ceiling…) XD Just kidding, love.**

**Without further ado… here's the next chapter! Okay, a little more ado… I'm almost positive I won't be here next week… no wifi, 3-G… I'm gonna be in the mountains in the middle of nowhere where I have to walk two miles to check the weather on a phone that no longer gets 3-G (courtesy of my unwilling-to-spill-it's-inner-world wallet), so I'm posting the next chapter tomorrow. Have a great week and Merry Christmas! **

Yako woke up slowly as usual, shoving her face in the pillow. This was the first time since she'd been on the ship that she hadn't woken up in the blonde demon's arms. Her eyes didn't hurt nearly as much as they did the night before. The night before… her mind drifted off to the unnaturally hesitant look in Neuro's eyes as he hovered over her. Was that really a few hours ago? She rolled onto her back and looked at Neuro sleeping on the ceiling. He'd seemed satisfied with the small rock… chemical thing she found yesterday. She was happy that she actually turned out to be helpful (whether that statement sounds sad or not), she just didn't really know _how_ she'd been helpful. At the moment, she really didn't want to think about it. She let out a sigh, trying to put herself back to sleep. Suddenly, she heard a sound above her. Neuro? She opened her eyes to see Neuro's face inches away from hers, his demonic eyes shining.

Yako let out an undignifying '_eek!_' as she jumped to the side, falling out of the bed with a hard _thud_. She groaned at the pain in her head as she sat up on the floor, looking up at the demon who dangled by his feet from the ceiling, watching her with a half amused smile.

"Get ready to go, Yako." He commanded. He allowed gravity to have the appropriate effect on him and fell from the ceiling, still somehow landing on his feet.

"Already? What time is it?" She looked about the room sleepily for the alarm clock, wherever it may be. Neuro latched his hand onto her head and tilted it up to his line of vision.

"Don't ask questions, louse. Be ready in five minutes." He commanded once more. The sharp-toothed grin on his face told Yako that something was up. Her best guess was that the mystery was much closer to being solved. Well, in any case, since Neuro was acting like a demon this morning, she decided the best thing was to follow his orders as quickly as possible. There was no telling what he'd do if she didn't.

She rushed into the bathroom with a change of clothes and took a shower. She couldn't shake her dream from the night before, which was basically a replay of the night before… when she'd almost hyperventilated the second time. Her own words rang in her ears.

_"No! I don't have feelings for Kyosuke! He reminded me of my dad! I don't have feelings for him... someone already… y-you already…"_

What on earth was she going to say then…? She was talking to Neuro at that time. He already what? Her mind had gone blank in that moment. He had appeared in front of her so fast she couldn't say anything. She let out a sigh as she climbed out of the shower and grabbed a towel. So many questions raced through her mind at once, and for some reason, her heart was racing as well, leaving her burning with nervousness. Why did she feel so anxious? She changed into a t-shirt and shorts. She dried her hair and combed it out before she finally opened the door. She stepped out, and without warning, two strong arms wrapped around her neck from behind.

"Yako."

The strong voice of the demon made her heart leap, his hot breath on her ear.

"This mystery… is on the tip of my tongue."

That phrase… it never made her heart pound so madly before. She was off balance and leaning on his chest. She felt her face growing redder by the minute. "U-Um…" She had no idea what to say in this situation.

Suddenly, the arms around her disappeared and a gloved hand grabbed her wrist as Neuro bolted for the door. "Let's go." The fact that he wasn't grabbing her head seemed like an improvement, though Yako couldn't completely register it after those last few seconds in the room.

Neuro seemed to be more energized than usual, but maybe that's because they'd both slept decently that night. No fears of the ship, no drunkenness, no hyperventilation… just an awkward moment and a word of praise before bed. Yako could have sworn it was the ship that was causing all this. The ship was also the most likely reason why she wasn't eating nearly as much. She walked with her plate of food to the table where Neuro was sitting, waiting for her. Before she sat down, he glanced at her, giving her a look she didn't know whether or not she could call concern. She sat across from him, deciding to ignore it while his eyes wondered down to a paper she didn't even notice him bring with them.

"What's that list?" Yako asked as she started eating.

"Activities on the ship. To keep us occupied for today." He replied, sliding the paper towards her.

Yako picked up the paper and scanned over a long list of sports and otherwise. "What about the mystery?"

"I'll take care of that tonight." Yako looked up at him from the list, once again looking into his shimmering eyes. "Then we won't have to lure them out. They'll come on their own."

Yako looked back down at the list. "There're so many. Which one are we going to do?"

"You decide." He said, getting up to stretch. She looked up at him, almost like she was in shock. "You get to do what you want today. Consider it your vacation."

Yako didn't really think about it as she got up and threw her arms around Neuro's waist happily. He'd never given her a vacation before, so she couldn't help but be happy. She could have looked at it as irritating that this was the first vacation she'd ever gotten, but she wasn't in the mood to be irritated. She looked up at him. "Thank you Neurooo!" She chirped. Only then did she notice the look of surprise on his face as he stared down at her. He clearly hadn't expected that sudden kind of contact. She looked up at him with the same expression and released him, stumbling backwards. Since when had she become so comfortable with him? She tried to look anywhere but at the two-tone haired demon and tried to hide the blush on her face.

Neuro let out a sigh in an attempt to break the awkward moment his slave had set. He reached for her head and stopped his hand in midair, rethinking the action in front of all those people. Just when Yako finally stopped blushing, Neuro reached down and took her hand, pulling her away from the table and out the doors. Yako started wondering if her cheeks were ever going to return to their normal pale color. She stared at his back as he lead her through the ship. She noticed he was in similar clothing as when he was playing basketball in the colors of black and blue, so she assumed that's where he was going. After walking through the ship for a couple of minutes, Yako confirmed her suspicions. There was a group of five boys and a girl in the basketball field. Yako's eyes went wide as she noticed one of the players in a red jersey and shorts.

"Ishigaki-san!" Yako said in a surprised voice, loud enough to get the raven-haired man's attention. He looked over to the area where he heard his name and he returned the surprised (yet slightly displeased) look.

"Katsuragi!" He said in an equally surprised voice. Yako whipped her head around and met him at the edge of the court.

"Um… for now, my name is Yasumi Konoto." Yako informed in a whisper. Ishigaki gave her a questioning look, but didn't argue. Yako almost forgot Neuro was with her, somehow, until he put his hands on her shoulders and slightly leaned over to eye level with Ishigaki.

"Mind if we join in?" He asked in his _I'm simply a human_ voice.

"We…?" Yako questioned nervously. She had close to zero basketball experience… unless she, of course, _was_ the basketball (courtesy of Neuro).

Ishigaki, though he wouldn't admit it, was interested in how well they could play. A smirk slid onto his face as he imagined Yako and Neuro loosing terribly. 'This just may be payback for all those times they solved our cases without giving us a chance.' He thought to himself. He waved at the others who were currently taking a break on the benches by the court. "Hey, can we add two more?"

"Yeah." One of the guys said, and Ishigaki signaled Yako and Neuro to come over. "Which team?" The same one asked as he glanced at Neuro and Yako.

"You want to be on their side, Jun?" One of the others looked up at Ishigaki, who shook his head. "Alright, you two are with Luke and I." He said with a grin. After a minute or so, the others were off the bench and on the court, deciding which hoop belonged to which team. "This is Luke, and I'm Drake." The boy introduced himself to Yako and Neuro, watching his other friends closely as if they might decide to start without warning.

"I'm Yasumi Konoto." Yako grinned back at them, barely even noticing Neuro bending down to her ear level.

"Yako." He whispered. She glanced over her shoulder and made eye contact with the demon. "Do you know the rules?"

"Umm…" She did her best to try and remember the rules from her P.E. class back in Japan.

Neuro pointed to a hoop. "That one's ours. Don't run with the ball in your hands more than three steps, and pass the ball when there's an opening." Neuro gave the simplest instructions he could and Yako nodded. They didn't exchange any more words once the game started. Yako didn't realize how bad at it she was until she was up against the others. In a sense, she was kind of wishing she was wearing a skirt so she'd have an excuse not to play. The ball was passed to her much more often than she'd expected, much to her displeasure. The bright side was her small body size that allowed her to easily duck under their arms and move around the others rather quickly. Every once in a while, she'd see a black and blue figure on the other end of the court, and that's where she would pass the ball, knowing Neuro hardly ever missed the hoop.

Yako's heart and lungs seemed to be protesting against her. Her feet were starting to hurt, but as she got more into the game, she stopped noticing. She was definitely better than when she first started, but still played like a newbie compared to the others. She let a smile slip as she ducked under Ishigaki's arms, passing the ball to Neuro inches from the raven's back. She was finally sensing the competitive air around Ishigaki, and had to admit, she was kind of enjoying it. She wasn't the only one though; Under Neuro's human mask, his demonic eyes glimmered competitively every time his gaze rested on the black-haired policeman.

At this point, the score was even, and the last shot would win. Neuro had the basketball, which was a good thing, until Ishigaki stood right in front of him, and two others accompanying the raven. Yako ran along the rim of the court, watching Neuro. Why wasn't he moving? A smirk was plasterd across his face, and the thought came to Yako: He's putting on his nervous human act… at such an inconvenient time. Little did she know that he was watching her from the corner of his eye, waiting to see what she'd do. She ran towards him under Ishigaki's arms and stole the ball quickly and smoothly. Now was not the time to let Neuro lose the game for them, not after all her struggling to play against these fairly experienced people. Her mind went blank. Which hoop was hers? Her eyes darted across the court nervously, watching the others rushing towards her. She looked around the room in a panic for Neuro, as if he'd save her. In one swift movement, Yako's feet were off the floor and she found herself on Neuro's shoulders. She clung to the ball as he ran towards the hoop, and without a second thought, she threw it in, nothing but net. The moment it was in, the demon stopped and glanced up at Yako. She wove her fingers through his hair and watched the other players come to a stop as well. Neuro lifted her off his shoulders with a smirk plastered across his face directed toward their opponents. The other players, along with Ishigaki looked at them with shock, breathing heavily and their eyes swirling with disbelief.

"You two are a good team, aren't you?" Yako turned her head towards a familiar voice on the benches.

"Kyosuke!" Yako's face lit up as she ran over to the man that reminded her so much of her dad. "You were watching?" Yako asked as she came to a stop in front of him.

"Yes, I was. I didn't know you could play basketball." He said happily.

"Well, I normally don't. I was kind of pulled into the game."

"Being pulled is good. It's like me and so many others, being pulled into the sea." He grinned up at her. Yako was about to ask her what he meant by that until she felt Neuro's presence behind her. She glanced up at the demon like she'd made a mistake by walking over to Kyosuke, but soon noticed that she didn't have his attention. He looked farther behind Kyosuke, and Yako soon noticed that a black-haired girl was running towards them.

'Kyoko…'

"Neuro! Yasumi!" She called eagerly as she ran up behind Kyosuke. He looked over his shoulder and back at Yako.

"Yasumi, this is my daughter, Kyoko." Kyosuke said as soon as she was up beside him. Yako's eyes went wide. Kyoko was Kyosuke's daughter? Didn't Kyoko say her father was the captain of the ship? Was Kyosuke the captain and… the main suspect to the "suicides"? Yako felt her heart drop to her stomach. There was no way, right? There was no way the man who earned her respect so easily and reminded her of her father could possibly be a murderer… right? The feeling of a heavy hand on her shoulder broke Yako away from her thoughts and she looked up at Neuro.

"Sorry to leave this early, but we'd better hit the showers." Neuro chirped, his voice as fake as his face. He grasped Yako's hand and guided her away from the two, waving goodbye as he hurriedly left the court. Yako didn't protest, but she kind of wanted to, especially when she noticed he had no intention of going back to the room. He turned a few corners and soon, Yako found herself in a theater playing some random romance/ghost movie.


	7. Chapter 7

**Oh, what fun to write. ^_^ Did anyone notice the new artwork for the story? Drawn by yours truly! (Okay, it's not as fabulous as I was imagining, but it'll do until I can summon up the patience to draw another, better one.) As promised: Next chapter!**

** Carla: I shall update very very soon! *looks around* …now. Yes, I shall update now! Psychic like that! J Thank you for reviewing yet again!**

**A little heads up: The chapters might be posted a little… irregularly. Reason being: recently, I fell out of my desk chair (wasn't paying attention), and hit my head pretty hard on the bed post… anyways, I seem to be getting migraines much more frequently. My migraines are weird because once they hit, I lose my vision one eye at a time, then capability to control my arms, then vocal chords etc. I'm sure all that wasn't very important. The main point is, it's getting hard to look at a computer screen for multiple minutes at a time, so I can't get the fanfictions out as quickly. I'm feeling great right now so I'm writing my heart out with my eyes closed. (Sounds weird, but it's very possible.) Sorry for the inconvenience! Please join me in glaring at the gravity fairies. **

**I sincerely apologize and hide away in some sort of zombie and/or fanfiction reader-proof shelter for all the tension and such in these past few chapters, but I'm trying to lead it all to one big finale! I love you all; everyone gets hugs, Merry Christmas and, as always, thanks for sticking with me this far! ;)**

_"Sorry to leave this early, but we'd better hit the showers." Neuro chirped, his voice as fake as his face. He grasped Yako's hand and guided her away from the two, waving goodbye as he hurriedly left the court. Yako didn't protest, but she kind of wanted to, especially when she noticed he had no intention of going back to the room. He turned a few corners and soon, Yako found herself in a theater playing some random romance/ghost movie._

'Random much…' Yako thought to herself and looked up at the demon. He wasn't even paying attention to the movie. His eyes were closed, and one of his little eye bugs crawled around in the palm of his hand, clearly as bored as its master. Yako put her hand out and the strange tool crawled into her hand. It started making circles in her hand and Neuro's eyes opened, glancing at Yako. She met his gaze and held her hand out. "S-sorry, do you want it back?"

He shook his head. "There are five more behind us." Yako was slightly surprised as she turned her head around the seat. There were two at the door that she was able to spot, almost like they were keeping watch. She didn't bother looking for the other three, she just sat back in her seat and watched the one in her hands. Neuro let out a sigh and rested his head on the top corner of Yako's theater seat and his arm on the armrest between them. He looked down at the slightly entertained bug in Yako's hands, then at her.

Yako sat back and watched the bug for a while, thinking about when the mystery would come to end. When they were back at the office, it would all go back to normal… she thought. Was there really a reason to worry, or to feel excited? Neuro was going to be exactly the same as before they left - rough with her and Godai. There wouldn't be any difference… even after the many times she woke up in his arms or curled up into his chest. He'd be the same – unreachable and relaxed behind the wall he put up between him and the humans. Then again, as a demon, maybe the feelings of victory, anger, pride… maybe that was all he knew, and maybe that's why he put up a wall… to keep away from the unfamiliar feelings of the human world. Yako had no idea why she was even thinking about all this, but for the most part, she was right… she still had no idea though… that Neuro let his wall drop when she met his gaze in the dark of the theater. The bug in her hands laid still while Yako's heart did the opposite. Maybe it was the light from the screen, but Neuro's gaze seemed so much gentler. Yako's heart burned with uncertainty and curiosity, staring up at the demon with an equally unreadable emotion in her eyes.

'Haven't you ever wanted love?!' The character in the movie screamed. A look of unexpected shock inched onto Neuro's face. This movie… Yako instantly recognized it as the movie she'd watched with Godai back at the office. She wasn't really focused on that now, just the way Neuro was looking at her… such a look of longing that she held in her own eyes as well. Neuro protested in his mind. No way was he going to show any kind of… annoying emotion for Yako… no way was he going to lean forward like he was doing now. No way were his eyes going to soften as she leaned toward him.

Just what he didn't want to see… through the eye of his Evil Friday bugs as they scattered into the shadows, someone he wasn't in the mood to see. He grasped Yako's shoulders and dragged her down to the ground into the shadows of the theater seats. She sat between his legs with her back to him, completely surprised by the sudden movement. "777 tools of the demon world… Evil Blind." He whispered to himself, and a green aura enveloped the two. He watched the other woman in the theater stop in her tracks. Yako stared up at the figure as Neuro covered her mouth with his hand, making sure she wouldn't make a sound.

'Kyoko…?' Yako recognized the beautiful girl, turning her head from side to side like she was looking for something.

'Not good…' Neuro thought to himself. He wrapped his free arm around Yako's waist and dragged her closer to him. Kyoko was searching intently for them, he knew, and this wasn't the time to deal with that. She took a step into the row, her foot unknowingly close to Neuro's. He tried to scoot back silently and he managed to get to his feet, though still keeping low. Evil Blind unfortunately was not a perfect mask, so he tried to stay under her line of vision, dragging Yako with him as he took a few silent steps back, displeased when Kyoko seemed to follow. At this point, he didn't feel like he had much of a choice. Kyoko interfering with his plans… it was just something he would not allow. Pulling Yako a little closer, he bolted for the theater door, knowing she'd probably noticed. Soon enough, fast paced footsteps were following them through the halls.

Yako slid Neuro's hand from her mouth and looked up at him. "Neuro? What's going on?" She whispered. He opened the door to their room and released her.

"Lock the door." Yako did as she was told as Neuro stood in the middle of the room with a troubled look on his face. "We can't have Kyoko messing up the mystery… not like this."

"H-how could she mess up the mystery? What could she do that…"

Neuro put his hands on either side of her face and got down close to her, cutting her off. Yako could feel her face going red, up until she noticed the demonic glimmer in his eyes. "She's very capable of messing with the mystery, and if worse comes to worse, Yako… you'll be her target, not me." Yako couldn't do anything besides give him a concerned look. She wasn't catching on with any of this. Neuro released her and walked over to the bedside, glancing around the room as he could hear approaching footsteps. "Yako." He called. Yako was reluctant, but she walked over to him. Neuro's large hand forced her onto the bed with one quick gesture. He cursed under his breath out of paranoia as he jerked his shirt off and threw it to a random forgotten corner of the room and crawled on top of her, throwing the covers over them.

"N-Neuro, what are you doing?!" She whispered.

"Shut up, louse." He dropped down onto her chest and pulled her closer with a strong arm, just in time to hear the lock on the door slowly giving in to the intruder. Neuro rested beside Yako, but couldn't help but feel tense. He hated that he had to stoop to such a low level to avoid appearing suspicious. The doorknob clicked and the door creaked open slowly. His little robotic eyes watched her from the corners of the ceiling, acting as Neuro's eyes. He felt Yako tensing underneath him, but at least she was doing a decent job at faking sleep. The steps walked toward the two and stopped right at the bedside where Neuro was.

"Neuro." Kyoko called in a soothing voice. He wondered if she really thought he'd respond. He made a conscious effort not to flinch when he felt a cold, slender finger traced his shoulder blades. "Your presence here makes me nervous, dear boy. What could you be hiding? Something about you… makes me uneasy." Her finger moved down his spine then back up to the back of his neck. Her breath was hot on his ear as she whispered to him. "And that girl… is she so important that you would protect her? I can see it in your eyes – how tense you are when I'm near her. Such a pretty face she has. It'd be horrible, really… if that face of hers was covered in her own blood." With that she stood up and happily trotted to the door. "Behave yourself, Neuro-tan." She chirped as she left the room, shutting the door behind her.

Neuro's eyes opened when he could no longer hear her footsteps. He half slid off Yako, making her even tenser when she lost that contact. Something about that threat scared her. She'd dealt with much scarier criminals before who threatened her in much more severe… detailed ways. Something about Kyoko herself… it was like the way she felt when she first met Neuro, that feeling of being near a greater being and her instincts screaming at her to get away. Yako stared up at the ceiling, hands shaking as Neuro slipped off the bed to retrieve his shirt.

"Well, where would you like to go next?" Neuro asked, his voice close to monotone. The question itself came as a surprise to Yako.

"W-What? But… Kyoko just-"

"I know. There's nothing we can do about it at this point. We'll just have to wait it out for a few hours."

"N-Neuro!"

The moment his shirt was back on, he looked over his shoulder and stared her down with shimmering green eyes. "What are you thinking is going to happen, slave?"

Yako crossed her arms over her chest, almost like she was trying to pull herself together. "Something about Kyoko is just…" At this point, she refused to make eye contact with the demon that watched her with acid-colored eyes. "K-Kyoko…" She didn't realize how shaky her voice was becoming. Any and all fear she kept bottled up was being released right then and there. 'W-why does Neuro have to watch me like that? I don't want him to see me… not freaking out like this… he'll just tease me…' She thought to herself, staring at the white bed sheets.

Before Yako could notice him move, Neuro was staring at her as he steadied himself on the ceiling, his face inches away from hers. "Are you really thinking you're going to get injured?" She studied serious expression, unable to find the words to answer. "We've solved many mysteries. You've been in dangerous situations, but how much danger has really come to you? This time will be no different."

"N-Neuro…" Was this his way of saying he would protect her? Yako hoped so, even if it would hurt if she found out it wasn't, she really hoped he was trying to reassure her.

This time when Neuro registered how close their faces were, he didn't let the moment last. He released the ceiling and landed swiftly on his feet. "It's about time for lunch."

"…Can we skip it?" Yako whispered after a short silence. Now that was something Neuro didn't expect to hear. Where was the girl who always complained about _not_ being able to eat? He knew the answer, but for once, he didn't expect the ship to be that big of a deal. Yako looked up at him pleadingly as he stood in silence. He nodded and let out a sigh as he flopped down onto the bed. "I'm going to go take a shower." She commented, and slid off the bed to gather a change of clothes. Once she was in the bathroom, Neuro rubbed his temples and listened to the sound of running water. He started wondering if he could use the fact that Ishigaki was onboard to his advantage.

Yako soon came out of the bathroom (mostly because the ship was rocking back and forth a little more than what was normal) and threw her clothes in her suitcase. Neuro stole a glance at her as she slowly approached the bed, completely focused on her footing. The demon forced back a smile as he looked away, a small voice in the smallest corner of his mind commenting on how cute she looked. She crawled under the covers as Neuro got up to take a shower as well. Yako was getting tenser and tenser. Thoughts of Kyoko and the mystery rushed through her head, accompanied by the annoying, forceful sway of the ship. She wondered if there was a storm outside… and her imagination started getting the better of her. She didn't notice Neuro come out of the bathroom until he sat on the bed. The moment the bed moved, she let out an involuntary, quiet whimper as she gripped the bed sheets.

"Yako." He whispered her name. She glanced over her shoulder at him and returned to her position on her side, facing away from him. She shut her eyes tightly, hoping he wouldn't notice how tense she was. Neuro scooted under the covers and Yako felt two strong arms wrap around her waist. He pulled her close, up against his chest. Yako's eyes went wide with surprise and worry, wondering what was happening. His arms curled around her, and as if in an attempt to bring her even closer, his leg hooked around one of hers. He took a deep breath and let out a sigh. Yako felt his breath on the back of her neck and felt like her heart was going to explode, but she couldn't help but relax a bit against him. Months ago… no, days ago, she wouldn't have felt so safe in his arms. She would have been scared and struggling to get free, but this time, she felt herself slowly relaxing with every breath she took. She wondered if he could feel her heartbeat, even if it was her back against his chest. She wondered… if that was her heart or his that she could feel, pounding so rapidly.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello all! Don't mind me, just standing outside *in very cold weather*, yelling lines from King Lear with a Scottish accent. Nope, I'm not queer. :P**

** Carla: Thanks very much! I do apologize though… that bit about migraines that I stuck in there was unnecessary on my part… sleeping did help though, so thanks much! :D**

** Goldy: Wait no longer! OvQ I'm very glad you have kept reading my fanfiction! *Hugs for you!***

**So, I'm leaving tomorrow, and that's why I'm posting today. I won't be here Saturday… being tomorrow. Whoa, it's already Friday?! D: Anyway, I thank all my readers! You guys are awesome, and you all deserve hugs! Really, when I open up my e-mail and I see a new review, new follower, etc., no matter what mood I'm in, I get all happy. (You guys saved my brother from getting yelled at.) Okay, I'll let you read now. Love you all!**

Yako woke and noticed there was something different about her position than how she'd fallen asleep. She woke facing Neuro, her arms around his waist and her legs wrapped around one of his. His arms were around her shoulders. Her forehead was on his collar bone. Even after all the times she'd found herself in his arms, she didn't think she'd ever managed to get _this_ close to him. She took in a deep breath, comfortable around this scent and this warmth. Her arms around his waist tightened as she tried to bring herself closer (if that was possible). For some reason, she didn't want this to end. She caught herself hoping he wouldn't wake up just yet, so she could fall asleep in his arms yet again.

Yako heard the beeping sound of her cell phone, indicating she got a text message. Much to her displeasure, it woke Neuro up rather easily. He propped himself up on his elbow but didn't move the other arm. One of Neuro's robotic eye bugs dragged the phone across the floor and up onto the bed.

The moment she saw a faint green glow in his eyes accompanied by a serious look, Yako spoke up. "Neuro, what is it?"

"I told Akane to text us when we got close to the port. It's early, but the timing couldn't be better." He closed the phone and looked at the time. "We slept quite a long time… it's almost dinner. Once that's over, then the other alcohol bars will open up."

"Alcohol bars?"

"Yes. They're the key to this mystery." He explained as he laid back down on his side. He wrapped both of his arms around Yako's shoulders again, and she pushed herself to his chest before she could habitually protest.

'When this is all over… this closeness to Neuro will go away too, won't it?' She thought to herself, trying to bottle up the saddening feelings. She figured she should just enjoy it while she could. Her thoughts started to stray further than she expected. 'When I'm married and have a child… will I remember this moment? Will I remember Neuro?' Her eyes opened as a stray thought crossed her mind. 'Will… I even need to remember him? What if he's there? What if he… what if I'm the one to greet him when he comes home?' Her face went red as soon as she figured out what her own mind was implying. She glanced up at the relaxed face of the two-tone haired demon. Would she even stand a chance? Wasn't she nothing more than a wood louse in his views? But then again… would he hold a wood louse like he was holding her now?

"Yako."

"Huh?" Just the fact that he talked when she was thinking such things startled her. He didn't have a tool for reading minds, right? If he did, then… just the thought of it made Yako nervous.

"Let's go to dinner. I need to set something up and might need you to be a distraction to the others." He said as he pushed himself up. Yako had hoped that moment would have lasted longer.

Neuro was once again a bit displeased with how little she was eating. This time, instead of glancing around the room for hints, he kept watch for Kyoko. He didn't particularly enjoy laying low like this, but it had to be done if he wanted to eat.

The dinner itself was very formal. The guests were asked to wear formal clothing, so Neuro simply wore a black version of his typical blue suit and a white rose in the breast pocket (which he thought looked rather corny). He closed his eyes as he replayed the scene in his head - before they left for dinner. He'd already changed into his suit by then, and he'd waited for Yako to get done changing. He glanced at the door as it opened and his focus was immediately drawn to Yako wearing a cute (sexy) blue and white short dress and a blue flower pin in her hair. She didn't miss Neuro's look of surprise. She wanted to turn around, but her body wouldn't allow it. She turned her head away, hoping he didn't notice the blush on her face. "D-Does it look weird…?" She asked shyly. Neuro simply shook his head in response, pushing away the expression on his face and held his hand out to her. They left the room, and he didn't say a word the whole way to the dining hall.

And here they were, sitting across from each other in silence. Yako's feeling of nervousness helped contribute to her lack of an appetite. Her heart leapt every time their eyes met for a split second. Yako wondered if even getting a dress was a good idea. She and Kanae went shopping the day before the trip and practically let Kanae pick out the dress for her. She didn't even care at that time, but now she sort of wished she had… she didn't know what she'd do different though. As for Neuro, he'd never seen her shoulders before this trip. It made him realize how small her body really was. His thoughts were interrupted as he heard an unpleasantly familiar voice amplified by the speakers. He cautiously turned his head to the stage that was usually ignored on one end of the room. Kyoko stood alone on the stage, holding a microphone. Her sleek black hair was tied up, and she wore a long, fitted purple dress with ruffles to look like flowers down her side.

"Now for the surprise even we've all been waiting for!" She chirped happily into the microphone. Neuro could almost feel the hair on his head stand on end with the coming of the next sentence. Dancing… that was the whole bloody point to dressing up. The crew wanted the guests to _dance_. Neuro stared at the black haired girl with irritation. This event was most likely planned way before he even got on the ship, but even so, he knew that there was a reason. A diversion? He was almost certain. He'd wondered before when they were planning on setting everything up for the "suicides", and now he knew.

Neuro cursed under his breath before turning back to the orange haired girl across from him. "We need to get to the other end of the room so we can get to the pool."

"Won't it be closed?" Yako asked, slightly confused.

"Yes. We need to hurry so we can get there before it opens." He replied as he stood. Of course the exit had to be on the other side of the room. (By the time they'd got there, the other tables were taken). Neuro concluded that fate decided to throw a curveball at him as he offered his hand to Yako.

She stared up at him in disbelief. Was he… silently asking her to dance? Yako found herself taking his hand and standing up. There was one issue with this whole thing – Yako hand no idea how to dance. Neuro guided her out, joining the many couples that were already awaiting the music to start. Typical human observation gave Neuro a small idea of what to do, but not by a lot. Yako tried copying a nearby couple and put her hand on his shoulder. "S-So…"

"We need to dance our way to the other side of the room. If we just walked, Kyoko would notice." He responded as he put an arm around Yako's waist. The orange haired girl glanced around the room nervously.

The music started, and Neuro guided Yako. Never in her life had she ever imagined she would be dancing with him. She stared at her feet, trying to avoid Neuro's feet. Whatever kind of waltz this was, he seemed to catch on pretty quickly, but Yako was a whole other story.

"Yako." She stared up at him and tripped once more. In a single smooth movement, Neuro slipped his feet under hers. He was letting her stand on his feet? That was uncommon in the girl's views, but then again, a lot of strange things had been happening lately. Neuro's hand moved up to her shoulder blade as he bend down to whisper in her ear. "Learn the steps. Make a diamond pattern." His lips barely brushed her ear, and her face was already bright red. Even so, she tried to focus on the pattern Neuro made. She was so close to him… his lips were still by her ear as he pressed his face to her hair.

Neuro was rethinking his plan as he half focused on Yako's scent. Maybe it would be better to leave her in the dining room to make sure she'd be safe… but with who? A satisfied look crossed his face immediately as the answer appeared right before his eyes. Ishigaki sat at a table relatively close to the exit doors, staring off into space. Almost as if on cue, Yako carefully stepped off of Neuro's feet and tried dancing on her own. He pulled his head back from the girl and watched her as she hesitantly looked up at him. Neuro decided to let time stand still for him. This moment was the peace before the storm. It was untold what would happen, even if he had a good idea of what was to come. Yako had relaxed considerably compared to how tense she was when they'd left the room. Neuro wanted this moment to last a little longer, but much to his displeasure, they were close to Ishigaki's table. The two-tone haired demon stopped for a little while and stared down at his dance partner. Neither of them said anything, so Neuro took the flower from his coat and tucked it behind Yako's ear, being sure to caress away a few stray strands as well. Before he knew it, he'd given her a reassuring smile that ignited her nervous heart.

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Neuro already had Ishigaki's coat sleeve in his grip. "Enjoy the night!" Neuro chirped in his _I'm perfectly human_ voice and stalked toward the doors. Yako watched him with confusion as she started pulling the similarly confused policeman into the dance. Why was Neuro leaving her behind?

Neuro used the "Staff Only" doors because, as expected, the normal exits were locked. He stormed through the maze of dark halls until he arrived at the swimming pool. He checked the surrounding area and immediately got to work weaving a long rope, tying knots as quickly as he could. He tied one main rope to the rail on the edge of the ship. The moonlight shone through the open area where the "suicides" would jump off the ship. He ran along the rail to the other side and hid behind a fake plant as he tied the other end on the far rail. He studied his work contently until he heard approaching footsteps. Taking a glance, he focused on a small blue and white dress.

"Yako!" His voice was a harsh whisper.

"Neuro…" She quietly made her way over to the demon as he emerged from behind the plant.

"What… why are you here?"

"Why'd you leave without me?" Yako asked in return, her voice still a whisper. Neuro let out a sigh and quickly whipped his head toward the sound of footsteps… the sound of many footsteps approaching. One man he did recognize was walking towards the pool with a group behind him.

"Kyosuke." Neuro whispered, and pulled Yako toward him, looking for a place to hide. They couldn't blend in with the ceiling, and the plants were too small… no choice. The captain could have sworn he'd heard someone's voice… Yako's voice. He glanced around the pool area, seeing no one. There was nothing more than a soothing glow from the moonlight that was cast into the pool water. Once he confirmed no one was there, he turned back to the staff members that walked behind him.

"Get everything ready and remember to turn on the air filters." He murmured. With a "Yes sir", the staff members scattered to their designated job while Kyosuke supervised.

Meanwhile, Neuro and Yako were dangling off the edge of the ship, Neuro's hand grasping the rails. He was glad Kyosuke didn't notice the black gloved hand at the bottom of the rails, but now they had a bigger problem. Yako clung to Neuro like her life depended on it, letting out quiet, high-pitched whimpers as she listened to the waves directly below them. "Yako." Neuro whispered her name, trying to distract her or get her attention. Her fear of being surrounded by water was finally showing through once more. Her heart pounded rapidly as she dangled above what she feared most. Through the eye of his robotic bug, Neuro watched the crew members. Naturally, his least favorite entered the room. Kyoko greeted her father and stared down into the pool, a smirk on her face. Something seemed to catch her attention, and Neuro took a guess at what it was. Of course… she started walking towards the railing. Neuro cursed under his breath and looked down at the terrified girl in his arms. "Yako."

The lithe girl's shoulders merely tensed even more. The demon could feel her shaking.

"Yako…" His lips hovered a little under an inch away from hers, somewhat distracting her. "…Yako, calm down." He pushed her head to his neck. Yako fought him, yet still clung to him. "Yako, don't be scared. I won't let anything happen to you. I promise I'll protect you." He whispered. The sweetly foreign words seemed to taint his tongue, and the paranoia that blossomed in his mind made him glare at the ocean. "…You're going to regret making me say that, louse."

Yako relaxed a bit, but tensed instantly once she felt the effects of gravity. Neuro let go of the rail and the two fell towards the cold sea, the abyss of Yako's nightmares. She instinctively pulled herself into Neuro's chest and felt two strong arms wrap around her. She waited for the cold, suffocating saltwater to surround them, but it never came. She opened her eyes at the sound of Neuro's voice.

"777 tools of the demon world. Evil Blind." He murmured. A green aura surrounded them, along with Neuro's little project. Yako stared up at Kyoko as she looked over the rail. The black haired girl glared at what she didn't see, like she'd expected something to be there, and soon turned around and walked away. Neuro dropped the aura and relaxed for a moment, letting out a relieved sigh. Now was Yako's chance to figure out what was going on. She looked around and noticed… a net? They'd fallen into a huge rope net. Sea spray dappled the two and Neuro attempted to crawl back to the ship without letting go of the girl in his arms. He soon lifted them up and over the rail on the lower level of the ship, (an open area in the hallway for the lower level rooms). He and Yako collapsed on the red carpet floor and attempted to catch their breath. Yako's head rested on Neuro's outstretched arm. You alright?"

Yako nodded. "Yeah. N-Neuro… you were setting up a net?"

"Yes, to catch the suicides that jump off the ship." Yako looked up at him with admiration as he helped her stand. He unbuttoned his coat and draped it over her shoulders. With a hand signal, the aura enveloped the net again and he guided Yako through the dark halls back to their room. He wondered… when he'd learned to say such soft-hearted things. It was getting to be bothersome.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chaptah 9! Hey everyone! :D**

**Carla: Yes, it appears Neuro is finally catching on. XD**

**HollyJollyXmas: Glad to hear from you again! I've tried to make this a good mystery… I'm not all that great at coming up with that kind of stuff (reason why I love the original manga artist), so I hope it reaches your expectation! :3**

**Alright everyone, hope you had a great week, and here's the next chapter!**

Neuro and Yako made it back to the room and Yako was the first to shower, getting all the saltwater off. Once she was done, she listened to the running water as Neuro took his turn and replayed the scene in her head. She'd never heard Neuro say such kind words… none that seemed real anyway. Maybe it was for the sake of shutting her up, but still… she couldn't help but give him the benefit of the doubt. Neuro was out moments later in a matching red robe similar to Yako's. He collapsed on the bed beside her and stared up at the ceiling.

"Now, we wait for the pool to open."

"Neuro…?" She asked cautiously. He turned his head toward her. "I… I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! If I hadn't been there… then none of this-" Neuro interrupted her by pulling her to his chest.

"Shut up, louse." The gentle tone in his voice diluted his harsh words. He held her in his arms, feeling her slender body slowly stop shaking. Yako blushed uncontrollably now. He was still warm from the shower. His own scent mixed in with the cinnamon scent of the cruise shampoo. She could feel his figure through the robe… his broad shoulders and toned muscles. When they become so comfortable around each other? A week ago, she wouldn't have dared stay in his arms; neither would he hold her like this in the first place. She knew that hoping it wouldn't change was futile… but she couldn't help it.

Time seemed to fly, even if they laid like that for a good hour and a little over. Yako shifted a little in his arms, trying to keep herself from falling asleep.

"Tonight, we're arriving in Okinawa." She looked up at the demon as he spoke. "Get your swimsuit on. The mystery has to be solved before we get to port." He scooted off the bed, leaving to change. Minutes later, and Yako was back in her swimsuit and Neuro waited for her in his shorts. They walked to the pool together in silence. This was it…

There were a few other people in the pool, 2 couples and a few teenagers. Neuro and Yako silently slipped into the pool and waited. Neuro sat on an underwater ledge while Yako swam around a bit to keep warm, making sure to stay close to Neuro.

After a while of absolutely nothing unnatural happening, Yako sat beside Neuro, about to ask him what the bars had to do with anything until she felt a slender hand on her shoulder. Kyoko seemed to appear out of nowhere and scare the living daylights out of Yako. "Hey you two! Enjoying the night?" She chimed as she popped her head between the two from behind.

"K-Kyoko!" Yako knew she sounded scared, so she tried to cover it. "D-Don't do that! You scared me half to death!" She said playfully.

"Sorry! So did you two enjoy the cruise?" Kyoko asked. Before Yako could answer, a sharp pain blossomed in her shoulder. She cringed away and bit back a wince. The gesture didn't go unnoticed. Neuro watched his slave closely.

"Yasumi?" Neuro addressed her. Yako looked back at the demon.

"N-No, it's nothing! I think I just strained my shoulder, that's all." Yako tried to keep a cheerful tone as she rubbed the sore spot on her shoulder. What just happened?

"I've noticed the staff put out air filters, Kyoko." Neuro said, leaving out the 'chan' honorific. He pushed off the wall where Kyoko was leaning behind him and pulled Yako to his chest, examining the newly formed bruise on her shoulder. "Too much chlorine can be bad for a passenger's health."

Kyoko gave him a somewhat twisted, shocked look. Neuro's sharp tooth smile widened and Yako felt her arm move half-voluntarily. The green aura that engulfed it could only mean Neuro wanted her to say her famous words. She understood now. "The culprit is you!" She yelled as she pointed her finger at Kyoko, who in return tilted her head.

"What are you talking about, Yasumi?" Kyoko asked.

"That is a good question." A familiar voice from behind Kyoko spoke. Kyosuke walked into the moonlight that lit the pool. "What exactly are you accusing my daughter of?"

"These suicides have developed a common pattern." Neuro explained. "You two, Kyosuke and Kyoko are responsible for the _murders_ on this ship."

Kyosuke flinched, and Neuro knew he had the human under his thumb.

"There is an extra chemical in the wine bottles. The chemical itself is a dormant, unicellular organism that quickly develops into a multicellular organism which only becomes active in large amounts of chlorine. The pool's chlorine levels are boosted on the final day to activate the chemical. You see, sensei and I found the pool has two drains, and one chamber disguised as a drain. The chamber holds large amounts of over-chlorinated water. The top is cleaned, and the chlorine is released, and it starts to build up again. Before every new group of passengers, all you need to do is change the water."

"You haven't explained the chemical." Kyoko grinned. "How can you accuse us of such a thing if you don't even know the chemical in your own story?"

"The chemical is black dead-beetle, a common organism in the demon realm." The words slid off Neuro's tongue with ease, leaving Kyoko in shock. "When exposed to large amounts of chlorine, the beetle will take over it's host and move it to another location, preferably to salt. In this case, the beetles will move their host to the sea and dissipate, leaving no trace of it's presence in the host. I recognized it early with Kyoko's help, giving me one of the stronger wines. Alcohol doesn't show noticeable changes with me as it does with humans, however, the beetle will."

"Neuro… Nougami…" Kyoko whispered his name thoughtfully.

"It's interesting that the beetle would let you handle it, Kyoko… after all, they hate lizards." Neuro's tone was close to threatening. Kyoko stared up at him, now with a terrified look on her face.

"Neuro Nougami… the puzzle eater." Her voice shook slightly.

"Kyosumei, the soul eater." Neuro concluded, his green eyes shimmering in anticipation for his meal. "Lizard demon, da svee dá neeya." In one swift movement, Neuro's fist landed a hard punch in her stomach, sending her flying to the wall. Her head slammed against the metal door, but of course, that wouldn't knock out a demon. Kyoko's eyes focused on the superior demon, one much older and more experienced than her. Kyoko didn't want to back down. Instead, she sung sharpened claws at the bird demon.

"You were a murderer too, Kyosuke." Yako murmured, not making eye contact with the captain. "Why?"

He kneeled down beside the pool and Yako stared up at him. "Years ago, my wife died. She was drawn to the sea. It was said she committed suicide, but we didn't know why. Ever since then, I told myself that I shouldn't be alone. I shouldn't be the only one to suffer like this. There's one beetle per bottle, so from the couple that share a bottle, on will die."

He explained so calmly and fearlessly, Yako didn't know how to respond. "T-That…"

"I know it's sick and twisted." The words rolled off his tongue like he'd said it all his life, surprising Yako all the more. "Even so, my wife shouldn't be alone… wherever she is."

An unexpected tear rolled down Yako's face. Before her father died, would he have done the same thing for her mother? The question itself was unnecessary, but she couldn't help it. Kyosuke still had kind eyes and a soft voice. He didn't seem insane like the other criminals who snapped when Neuro figured them out. It was like he wanted to be found out and stop the string of deaths he was responsible for. His eyes were filled with sadness…

"Gah!" Kyoko's sharp cry of pain sounded through the air as she slammed into the metal rail. She had cuts and gashes from close calls, dodging Neuro's half-hearted attacks. She could tell… Neuro was playing with her. His sharp-toothed smirk said it all. Any human-related emotions were blocked off, leaving nothing less than a full-fledged puzzle eater demon. Acid colored eyes ravenously studied her as she struggled to stand. 'I need a new approach…' Kyoko (Kyosumei) thought to herself. Her long, thin tongue licked the blood off her lip as she slowly walked to the side, never once taking her eyes off of Neuro. With nothing more than a mere idea in her mind, Kyosumei lunged at the rope as she recognized a net. Neuro moved to attack her again, but she'd successfully cut the rope, sending the net into the ocean. The two-tone haired demon had an expression that was unreadable to Kyosumei, but she knew that anger was mixed in. The other passengers that screamed as their partners that jumped off before seemed to be completely ignored. All she had to do now was wait for the rest of the infected victims to jump. She swung her claw-enforced hands at Neuro, attacking with no regard to stamina.

Yako, on the other hand, stood dumbfounded in the pool, staring up at the man who reminded her so much of her father. The pain in her shoulder was waning, but now there was a new problem. "You're next Yasumi. Say hello to my wife for me." He said with a kind-hearted smile on his face, contradicting his words. Yako wasn't sure what to say… or more like, she couldn't say anything. The room was blurring, and getting brighter. Her vision was twisting, and her legs were involuntarily moving. She couldn't speak. The water around her started feeling icy cold. 'When Kyoko put her hand on my shoulder… a beetle?' She wondered, starting to panic. Her panic increased as she noticed a cut rope, flapping around in the wind like a frantic bird. The net was gone? She tried to call out, do something… but it was hard. Her jaw opened slightly and a sharp pain rushed through her head; she assumed that was the beetle. "Ne-"

Kyosumei still attacked Neuro with all the strength she could possibly summon. The scales on her skin were finally showing through as she slowly dropped her disguise. His eyes focused on the orange haired girl who was slowly moving toward the rail. "Don't get distracted!" Kyosumei shrieked. With a quick attack to throw her off balance, Neuro jumped across the pool and grabbed Yako's shoulders. The beetle used Yako's arms in an attempt to weakly push him away, but of course it didn't work.

"Yako." He called, hoping to get some sort of response.

"Neuro…" Her voice was a mere whisper. It took much more energy than she would have imagined to get words out of her mouth. His expression changed to one slightly more concerned as a tear rolled down her cheek. She couldn't hide it… it felt like the beetle was tearing her head apart. "Neuro… it hurts…" She said as she weakly stared up at him. A claw enforced hand whipped through Neuro's peripheral vision and he blocked it. He scooped up the lithe orange haired girl and jumped across the pool to the other side. One of his hands supported her and the other on the back of her head. His lips barely brushed her neck as he searched for her pulse, making sure it was still normal.

"It's almost over." He whispered, and blocked another attack of what seemed to be a dart.

"Stand up and fight, Neuro!" The other demon yelled, sending a series of larger darts that were getting harder to block. The ones that broke let out a cloud of gas that fortunately wasn't harmful to humans. Neuro covered his nose and mouth as he protectively shielded Yako's body. "She's just a human! She'll die anyway! Why on earth are you protecting her?!"

A smirk crossed Neuro's face as the clouds dissipated. He glared at Kyosumei and she instantly tensed. His answer was short and simple… and something he'd heard over and over. "Haven't you ever wanted love?" The phrase from their last case… Yako recognized it. She couldn't believe it… He stood and Kyosumei backed away a little. "777 Tools of the Demon World. Evil Lavender." He called, and a split second later, the demonic weapon plunged into one of Kyosumei's lungs. A choking sound could be heard from the female lizard demon, and a cry of agony behind them. Kyosuke's presence had almost gone unnoticed until Neuro turned his head and grinned at the colorful aura that enveloped the defeated murderer. His sorrowful yell for his adopted daughter caught Yako's attention. She glanced at the captain, recognizing the pain on his face.

"Kyosuke… you're wife… wouldn't have wanted this." She murmured as she fought with the beetle, trying to push herself up.

Kyosuke glanced at Yako, awaiting more words… something to break the murderer inside. "Yasumi…"

"It's Yako… Katsuragi."

"…Detective?" His voice was shaky. She grinned at him. Tears now rolled down his own eyes as he stared at the girl who didn't remind him of his daughter… but more of his wife. With no other exchange of words, there was one last thing to be heard, and that was Neuro's famous phrase.

"Itadakimasu."

*777*

Kyosumei and Kyosuke were finished. The demon girl had retreated with possibly fatal wounds back to the demon world and Kyosuke laid unconscious on the concrete floor. Yako had mumbled so low it was hard to hear, but she somehow got the message across to Neuro to go down to the lower level. Neuro carried the lithe girl bridal style through the halls and was admittedly surprised to see Ishigaki, Sasazuka, and the unconscious passengers that had fallen into the net.

"Oh? You finally showed up." Sasazuka muttered, sounding as bored as ever.

"Sasazuka..." Yako knew Ishigaki was down here, but she didn't know the older policeman was there as well.

"We managed to get the passengers out of the net before it was cut. We didn't see anyone else fall." He informed Neuro. "Yako told Ishigaki to come down here after dinner."

Neuro looked down at his louse. He wouldn't admit it, but he felt a little proud of her. "Here." Ishigaki walked over with his coat soaked in sea water and rung it out over Yako's shoulder. She winced a little, and an ugly black beetle with a green stripe down it's back crawled out, only to meet the bottom of Sasazuka's heel. Neuro held on to Yako tightly and the police waited for the others to regain consciousness. The storm was finally over.


	10. Mystery Notes

These were notes for myself as I was writing... maybe it'll clear up any sort of confusion (in case you didn't understand it...). :)

There is a chemical in the wine bottles from the demon world that will only activate when in large amounts of chlorine, aka, the swimming pool. The chlorine levels are bumped up on the final night, leaving all the late night swimmers to the chemical. Naturally, only the ones who drank the wine will be the ones to die because of that activation. The wine doesn't have the chemical in it until the last day, with the exception of Neuro's bottle, because Kyoko was suspicious of him.

Kyoko is a younger, less experienced demon in a human disguise much like Neuro's. She is the adopted daughter of the captain, Kyosuke. Kyosuke lost his wife and the agony he felt twisted him into a murderer, but he couldn't do it without the help of Kyoko's chemical she brought with her.

When the victims jump off, the chemical dissipates due to the over exposure to salt… sea salt. This is why the investigators can't find a connection between the victims.

[Edit] the extra chlorine kept for the final night is disguised as a drain. There are two real drains and the third is fake. It has a chlorine buildup to keep the over-chlorinated water and excess chlorine from leaking through. On the final night, the cover is cleaned, breaking the chlorine buildup and releasing the over-chlorinated water and excess chlorine. The chlorine slowly builds up again, so all they have to do is drain the pool and filter it out before they add new water for the next trip.

[Edit] The chemical is a dormant, unicellular organism from the demon world. It doesn't like chlorine, and struggles to get it's host to salt water. There ya go! O_o


	11. Chapter 10: Final

**Alright y'all! Last chapter of the series. Thank you all so much for sticking with me as long as you have!**

**I'm going to give you a warning though. I'm about to commit a horrible crime amongst fanfiction writers: I'm going to leave you all with an "eternal cliffhanger". What will happen? NOt even Neuro knows... :3**

**I do apologize, but it had to be done. so, while you read the chapter, I'm going to go stake out a tornado shelter and hopefully seal it pretty tightly. Love you all again!**

** fairyofdreames: Well thank ya! :3**

** Carla: Yup, I luv me some protective demon. XD Thanks much!**

** Goldy222: Thank you! Glad you liked it!**

**Happy reading! -DIS**

Before Yako knew it, she was back on land, regaining consciousness in Neuro's arms once again. They were in her house. Neuro walked quietly up the stairs.

He felt like it all had to end now. He couldn't be as close to her as he had been on the ship. He laid the half-conscious girl on her bed and caressed a few strands of hair from her face. They were back home, back in Japan… there was no real reason to continue as they had.

*777*

The next morning, Neuro was searching the newspapers for mysteries, as usual. The suicides mystery had been somewhat filling, but he knew it wouldn't keep him from hunger for very long. Godai had arrived unexpectedly early, so he was sitting in front of the TV, as usual, completely unaware of the relationship that'd developed while Neuro and Yako were gone, that relationship that Neuro felt would be better off not existing. If he could break it without breaking her, he would. He'd said it before: such emotions would cloud his skills. At least, that's what he kept telling himself.

Yako was steadily walking to the building. She'd eaten a big breakfast (probably because she was back on land), but now felt extremely nervous. What would Neuro act like? She _knew_ she got closer to him. She knew she wasn't hallucinating when he'd repeated those words: Haven't you ever wanted love? Her mind was working a million miles a minute but all seemed to stop as she approached the office door.

The door clicked and opened, leaving Yako in the door way with nothing more than an awkward silence. Godai turned his head to look at her for a moment. "What're you doing? Get in here." Yako nodded and closed the door behind her. She walked up behind Godai and stared as the screen for a while, suddenly feeling a little scared of the demon behind the newspaper.

"Neuro, what're you doing?" She asked, noticing how focused he was. As soon as those words were spoken, Neuro lowered the newspaper, revealing shimmering green eyes. With a sharp-tooth grin spread across his face, he stood up and approached her.

"Bombing at a bank. Let's go." He announced as he grabbed her by the head and dragged her out the door. She couldn't easily hide her shock. Was he really going to revert back to normal? That "normal" meaning torturous, threatening, and most importantly hidden behind his wall? She thought she'd finally broken that wall… and maybe she did, but he'd put it back up. Now, she expected, he would be as unapproachable as ever.

Within a matter of a few hours, the mystery was solved. The sky was getting dark already. There was a chill in the air, and the scent of car exhaust. Neuro and Yako were walking back to the office, Yako following close behind the demon in blue, being sure not to be swept away in the crowd. Silence… even with the sound of chatting people, rushing cars and the sizzle of cooking at the restaurants, Yako couldn't hear anything but silence itself. It was rather awkward, following behind Neuro like this but not knowing what to say.

Moments later, they were in the office. The day went by so fast, and yet so slow. Godai had already gone home, and Yako was slowly packing her bag. She was alone with him… excluding Akane. Why couldn't she say anything? She glanced up at the demon and unexpectedly met his gaze. She was surprised… he had a look of what seemed to be… longing. His expression changed immediately and he looked at the computer screen.

"N-Neuro…" Her heart pounded as she wondered what to say. He loved her… he loved her, right? He'd said something similar… and she'd never been held like that before.

He practically read her mind. "It has to end now."

"What…?"

"We can no longer continue as we had on the ship." He said in a low voice. He stood up, his long, slender fingers glided along the edge of the desk as he walked toward her.

He stood in front of her and she looked down at her feet. She choked on the words in the back of her throat, waiting to be spoken while she tried to comprehend this. "Does that mean…" Her heart twisted. "…that it all meant nothing…? Just pretend nothing happened? You mean… you-"

"Don't misunderstand, louse." His voice was dark, but it held a certain softness to it, one that Yako didn't recognize. He retrieved her bag and handed it to her as he guided her to the door. He bent down behind her to whisper in her ear. "Of course it meant something. There's just nothing we could do to make it work." With that, he softly and unexpectedly kissed her on the cheek. "Goodnight… I love you." He murmured as he stood up once more and closed the door behind her.

Yako stood frozen with a tight feeling in her chest. She walked away from the office, and soon was walking on the streets. She looked back and noticed the tall, slender figure glancing down at her from the office window, a pained look on his face. 'Why not?' She wondered as she walked away. 'Why can't it happen? Why…?' She was halfway between the office and her house when she stopped in her tracks. 'It shouldn't matter… no, that's not entirely correct. It _doesn't_ matter.' She thought, half-consciously spinning around on her heels and running back. She had no idea what to do or what to say. "I'll just figure it out when I get there." She said out loud to herself. She didn't know what was in Neuro's head, but she knew that, for her at least, it was much more painful being without him than not knowing whether he loved her or not. How complicated it wall was… how annoying, and how beautiful. The question of what she would do kept running through her head unanswered as she ran through the door of the building and up the stairs to the office.

Neuro sat at his computer, staring at the screen, half-heartedly searching for mysteries. He wondered when he'd first allowed himself to say something so soft-hearted… and why it came so naturally when he was around her. Of course he knew the answer, but it was considered one mystery he'd rather be left unsolved. His attention turned to the sound of footsteps hurrying up the stairs. Could it be possible that there would be a client in such a hurry? He somewhat expected them to run to a different room. He was surprised when the door burst open and Yako stood leaning in the doorway, out of breath. "Yako?"

Without words, she shut the door behind her, dropped her bag on the floor and ran towards him. He stood up and she threw her arms around him, knocking him back in his chair. She sat up in his lap, straddling his legs. He stared up at her. She gently took his face in her hands and crammed her lips to his in a long, needy kiss, earning her a soft, surprised moan from him. A fleeting feeling of panic, worry, and uncertainty was soon replaced by longing. At first, she was worried that he'd push her away, but when he didn't, she decided to focus completely on the soft lips she longed for ever since they got on that stupid ship. She pulled away only when she really needed to breathe, but stayed an inch or so away from his lips. She could feel his hot breath on her face as she opened her eyes and met his half lidded green gaze. Neither of them noticed the braided hair in the wall, twitching with shock.

"What did I just say, louse?" His voice was low, but it wasn't harsh.

"That you love me."

"Yako…"

"It'll work." She whispered. He listened, wondering what was going through her head. She pressed her face to his neck. "I love you too, so please… let me stay." He could feel a slight tremble through her small body. "I don't care if you're a demon… you're also… Neuro. Even if the Neuro I fell in love with is a demon, I still… love you."

If there was ever a time when he'd told himself not to give in to her… now was definitely not said time. The paranoia that built up in his mind was quickly dismissed when he caressed her cheek. She tilted her head slightly in an attempt to look at his face. Yako's heart lept, leaving a lingering numbness as Neuro captured her lips with his.

She adjusted herself to sit in his lap and sought support from the arm of the chair. Yako's heart was pounding, she could practically hear it. Every single movement Neuro made was amazing. She wrapped her arms around his neck to deepen the kiss. She loved his soft but firm lips, his soft hair that she'd entangled her hand in, and eventually, the warm tongue that traced her bottom lip. Before she could open her mouth, he barely pulled back a bit and whispered her name.

"Yako…" The girl let out a displeased sigh at the loss of contact. "…Are you sure you want this? Think carefully."

"…I love you." She murmured. Neuro let a smile slip onto his lips.

"You really are a strange human." He whispered in a seductive voice, his lips barely brushing hers. That easily sent a chill down her back. With her hands on the sides of his neck she could tell… his heart was beating just as fast as hers. "I love you too." It was barely audible as he closed in, but Yako heard it. The kiss he gave her wasn't any duller than the first… quite the opposite. Yako could swear her face was at least identical to a strawberry at the moment. Her face was steadily getting hotter. She soon felt his tongue again and darted hers into his mouth, carefully tracing his sharp teeth. She felt a very mild stinging sensation on her tongue, accompanied by an unfamiliar yet sweet taste. After letting her do what she wanted for a few seconds, Neuro fought back for dominance (which was easily won). The nervous feeling in Yako's stomach eventually dulled in comparison to the warm feeling in her chest. Here they were… finally. They weren't on a ship, nor was a disguised demon by the name of Kyoko in the same world… and now the room was dark thanks to one of Neuro's demon bugs sitting on the switch.

Neuro pulled away for a moment while Yako caught her breath. She was slightly envious of how long he could go without having to breathe. A smirk pulled at her lips as an idea came to mind. The next line she said was enough to excite him, yet leave a surprised look on his face, enhanced with a red-ish tint across his cheeks, making him look more adorable than imaginable.

"Neuro, I want to hear you moan again."


End file.
